You know what’s cool about history? There’s always something new.

This summer, the AAFP Foundation’s Center for the History of Family Medicine (CHFM) announced its first essay contest for medical students and residents; essays are being accepted online through Nov. 1, 2021.

The contest goal is two-fold: to encourage the next generation of family physicians to engage with our specialty’s history, and then use the lessons learned to improve future health care.

“The pandemic has shown us why this is important,” says Rick Kellerman, MD, CHFM Board of Curators. “Our history has been very valuable in dealing with COVID-19. We can look back and see what worked and what didn’t work in past pandemics, and learn from these successes and failures.”

To enter the contest, medical students and residents must be members of the AAFP. Residents must also be enrolled in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited family medicine residency training program.

Essay topics are wide-open. The scholarly papers must simply cover a topic relevant to family medicine history in the United States. That could be anything from a day-in-the-life of a family doctor to a medical-political controversy within the specialty.

The author of the winning essay will receive $1,000 and the essay will be featured in a video at the AAFP Foundation’s 2022 National Conference. The second-place winner will receive a $500 award.

Want more details? Look here!