How the Student Externship Matching Grants Fuel Student Interest and Research in Family Medicine
Each year, the AAFP Foundation allocates $30,000 to constituent chapters and foundations to support locally established externship programs. This funding is pivotal in the Student Externship Matching Grants Program, which plays a crucial role in sparking student interest in family medicine careers and research.
By facilitating one-on-one student-mentor experiences through partnerships with academic institutions or Family Medicine residency programs, the program nurtures future family physicians. Despite challenging periods, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado's student externship initiative has continued to thrive and demonstrate remarkable stability and success.
Since 1992, Colorado has secured 34 grants totaling $42,500 from the AAFP Foundation to support student externships. In the past few years alone, nine grants were received, amounting to $11,250. Ryan Biehle, M.P.A., M.P.H., C.A.E., CEO and executive vice president at the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, underscores the foundation’s decade-long collaboration to secure grants, paving the way for a robust and enduring program.
Learn more about Student Externship Grant Awards
Initially focused on one-to-one student matching, recent years have seen externship experiences expand to accommodate individual projects or student groups, amplifying the program's reach.
Jill VanWyk, M.D., assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, notes that all students there are required to engage in a scholarly activity to graduate. The department disseminates information about the externship grant program, and students apply and receive grants depending on their interests.
“Demonstrating through actions and funding the priorities of family medicine is crucial,” said VanWyk. “Engaging in research within this field can make a substantial impact.”
Both Biehle and VanWyk believe the connection with the Family Medicine Interest Group is crucial in spreading awareness about opportunities like the Student Externship Matching Grant Awards program.
Biehle highlighted the uniqueness of the matching grant element provided by the AAFP Foundation, which has helped sustain funding and keeps students engaged. By leveraging additional funds, the externship program enhances exposure to family medicine in both relationships and research. He stressed the importance of ensuring students understand family medicine early in their curriculum, making it a viable career choice. This sustained prioritization is key to the program's longevity.
Under the guidance of a family physician mentor, projects vary from individual endeavors to group efforts, with a focus on community-based research. One particular memory stands out to VanWyk when she considers the impact of the program recipients. Focusing on the refugee population in Colorado, students worked diligently at a mental health center and made an immense difference despite modest grant funding of about $2,000.
Assessing first-year medical students, it's evident to VanWyk that they lack awareness regarding the impact of research in family medicine, despite the distinct advantage that family doctors possess in comprehending the primary care patients' needs.
"It's very important that we showcase robust and useful research in family medicine,” said VanWyk. “I think that putting our money where our mouth is, supporting practicing doctors, residents, and students, and answering questions essential to our patients are equally vital to the profession. The AAFP Foundation helps fulfill this mission well.”