I'm happy to welcome Dr. Reid Blackwelder to Family Medicine Rocks Episode 261 which will take place today (May 31, 2012) at 12pm Eastern Time Live on BlogTalkRadio. Dr. Blackwelder is Family Physician and a member of the AAFP Board of Directors from Kingsport, Tennessee.
Dr. Blackwelder and I will be discussing his recent essay in the AAFP Leader Voices Blog: "Students, Residents: Stand Up And Make A Difference For Family Medicine." Here is an excerpt from his essay....
Advocating for family medicine, however, is not a role just for the elected leaders of the AAFP. Everyone can play a role, particularly medical students and residents because you are our future. Each of you can take part in the discussion that is developing about the future of health care. The resulting decisions will affect how you practice medicine, regardless of specialty, and how your patients receive care.
Advocacy is not a routine part of medical school or residency training, yet one of the most important duties of a physician is to advocate. You are an advocate for your patients, your practice, your community, and your specialty. It is critical that as an advocate you are informed and active. It's never too early to get involved. Now is the time for you to find a way to be connected on a regular basis. Happily, there are many ways for you to do just that.
In addition to this essay, we're going to be talking about the impact that Social Media has had on the Family Medicine Community and the AAFP specifically. I hope that you can join us Live Today at Noon Eastern Time for Family Medicine Rocks Episode 261. See you then!