Student Delegate Report from AAFP National Conference

Sean McClellan – Rush Medical College (pictured with resident delegate Kristina Dakis, MD)

When I found out this spring I would have the opportunity to attend the AAFP national student and resident congress and serve as the student delegate representing Illinois, I was excited, but I didn't entirely know what to expect. My experiences as the Family Medicine Midwest conference the previous year were overwhelmingly positive so I had high hopes for the national conference, but I wasn't sure exactly what my role as a delegate entailed or how the resident and student congress portion of the conference worked.

However, that didn't keep me from diving right in. I decided that to get the most out of the conference and participate fully, I should write a resolution. I have a strong interest in policy and immigrant health in particular, and over the past year I had read reports recently released by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union on the problem of medical neglect in immigration detention centers. I decided to write a resolution about this issue. I knew health disparities and immigrant rights were important to me and my desire to build a career focused on these issues is part of what attracts me to family medicine, but I wasn't sure if other aspiring family physicians would feel the same way.

My first day at the conference I shared my idea with a discussion group on resolutions related to advocacy. The leader of the group said she hadn't heard much about the issue, but wanted to learn more and said it was definitely within the scope of issues that AAFP worked on. Two residents in the group approached me and asked if they could help me write the text of the resolution and present it at the resident congress. Discovering that other students and residents shared some of the interests that have driven me to pursue a career in family medicine was very affirming.

The following day when my resolution was presented for review to a reference committee, I had the opportunity to learn more about resolutions written by other students. I was impressed by how many resolutions were related to social determinants of health, health disparities and healthcare access. Again, seeing that others were driven by the same values as me reassured me that family medicine was the right area for me to build a career.

On the last day of the conference, my resolution was voted on and approved by both the resident and student congresses. It will be reviewed by the governmental advocacy commission this winter and they will decide what action to take at that time. I'm proud to have helped educate family physicians about an important issue and I look forward to seeing how my resolution helps shape the AAFP's policies and actions.

Participating in the congress, learning about other students passions and seeing that even as a student I have a voice in the AAFP all left me feeling energized. I am excited to return to the conference next year and continue to establish my place within the world of medicine.