The Illinois Academy of family Physicians (IAFP) is a 4,800-member professional medical society dedicated to maintaining high standards of family practice in medicine and surgery.  To retain membership, family doctors must keep up to date on current medical advances by taking continuing education courses.   The IAFP is a constituent chapter of the AAFP, the largest medical specialty association in the country, which has 94,000 members.

The Academy, founded in 1947, is governed by an All-Member Congress whose sole power is to establish policies and define principles.  The Board of Directors meets five times a year to act on the business of the Academy and carry out policy issues of the Congress.

IAFP Provides members with:

All-new member benefit page with links to discounts for IAFP members
IAFP Strategic Plan approved October 29, 2006
 practice based support
Public Relations 
Government Relations 
Continuing Medical Education 
Resident and student activities
Networking opportunities
Speaker's bureau
Family Physician, a bi-monthly newsletter
E-News, a bi-weekly newsletter

 

What is Family Medicine & What is A Family Physician?
AAFP Definitions of Family Practice and Family Physician

Family Medicine: Family medicine is the medical specialty which provides continuing and comprehensive healthcare for the individual and family. It is the specialty in breadth which integrates the biological, clinical and behavioral sciences. The scope of family medicine encompasses all ages, both sexes, each organ system and every disease entity.

The specialty of family medicine is the result of the evolved and enhanced expression of general medical practice and is uniquely defined within the family context.

Family Physician: The family physician is a physician who is educated and trained in family medicine - a broadly encompassing medical specialty.

Family physicians possess unique attitudes, skills, and knowledge which qualify them to provide continuing and comprehensive medical care, health maintenance and preventive services to each member of the family regardless of sex, age or type of problem, be it biological, behavioral or social. These specialists, because of their background and interactions with the family, are best qualified to serve as each patient's advocate in all health-related matters, including the appropriate use of consultants, health services and community resources.