Donor Profile: Diana Huang, MD
Inspired as a student, she’s now paying it forward with a recurring gift
Diana Huang, MD, MA, FAAFP, a family medicine physician in Seattle, Washington, is a regular supporter of the AAFP Foundation. Though out of residency for only five years, she donates a consistent amount each month that’s both manageable and impactful.
“I’ve always thought about giving back,” she said. “Once I was able to, I felt like that was important. Not that family physicians are necessarily the highest compensated physicians, but certainly compared to many of my patients, I have more financial means.”
While in medical school at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Huang got involved with the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians and attended some national AAFP events. Her choice to pursue family medicine was inspired by the longitudinal relationships her mentors in medical school enjoyed with their patients, as well as the influence of senior leaders she met through the AAFP.
Huang’s first exposure to the AAFP Foundation was at the National Conference (now called AAFP FUTURE) for students and residents, which she attended for the first time on a state scholarship as a medical student deciding on which residency programs to apply to. A few years later, she was able to return as a representative for her residency program at a clinic in Seattle — where she’s remained in practice since completing her program in 2020.
Huang still remembers the amazement she felt at her first National Conference, learning about all of the different residency programs throughout the country and the variety of work being done. The enthusiasm of the other physicians left a lasting impression.
She explained that in medical school, family medicine wasn’t viewed with the same excitement as surgery or emergency medicine.
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“We were lucky [at Temple] to have a couple of really great champions that I think everybody respected and looked up to,” she said. “But to have so many passionate family physicians in the same space together [at the conference] was really awesome.”
Huang is grateful for the scholarships that enabled her to attend conferences on her path to becoming a doctor. By giving to the AAFP Foundation, she hopes to help others receive the same opportunities. She also believes supporting the Foundation is important for the future of family medicine and said many of the challenges she and her colleagues now face stem from workforce shortages.
“We need more people to be excited about going into the specialty,” she said.
In addition to setting up a recurring grant through her donor-advised fund (DAF), Huang supports the AAFP Foundation by participating in the Foundation’s online auction. She’s won bids on a number of items, from a conference registration to a dinner package to a cherished pen — handmade and donated by a fellow physician.
“It’s another way to connect to other family doctors, for a good cause,” she said.
To make a one-time or recurring donation to the AAFP Foundation, click here.