Honoring our past, forging our future

Our summer issue of The Compass spotlights the AAFP Foundation’s signature Family Medicine Leads program and its Emerging Leader Institute (ELI). You’ll read about the experiences of three former ELI scholars — two of whom are our featured donors.

I’ve been a personal supporter of ELI for almost a decade, funding an ELI scholarship each year for a student to attend FUTURE. The AAFP’s national conference is where my love of family medicine was cemented. I went three times as a medical student and twice as a resident. It was an amazing experience; one I’d like as many students as possible to experience as well.

ELI, our leadership development program, didn’t exist when I was a student. The workshop, held in the days following FUTURE, gives those who are interested in family medicine a place where like minds converge and support one another. During my first five years on the Board, I reviewed all of the projects for ELI, and every year I was blown away by what they were doing. Leaders bloom here.

In this issue, we also highlight the winner of our Center for the History of Family Medicine (CHFM) Oral History Research Grant. CHFM is another program I love as a history buff — medical history especially. My office, with its old books and bottles, looks like a miniature museum of medicine.

As a past chair and member of the board of curators for the CHFM, I can attest to the value of teaching students and residents the history of our specialty. Family medicine physicians are usually the trendsetters in medicine, and knowing where we came from can have an impact on where we go in the future.

Each of the AAFP Foundation’s signature programs is dependent on support from donors like you. There are many ways to give. Two of the ways I like to give are by donating and bidding on auction items. I still recall the first auction the Foundation held. I bought a bust of Hippocrates and a picture of the first board of what was then the AAGP. Every year since, I have bid on items, including jewelry, purses and Lanny Copeland’s homemade jams, along with a weekend at Gobblers Knob. If you would like to donate items to the auction, email Tracy Ingram at the Foundation. Another way I like to give is by collecting FMX lapels pins. I’ve been doing so since my first purchase in 1999.

Beginning in 2026, donors who don't itemize may be eligible for a charitable deduction of up to $1,000 ($2,000 for married couples filing jointly) for qualifying cash gifts, subject to IRS rules. We encourage donors to consult their tax advisor about their specific situation.

I also wanted to share an important update with you. On May 18, 2026, the AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees made the decision to discontinue the Family Medicine Cares International (FMCI) program and resident scholarship. As part of our ongoing commitment to aligning programs with our strategic priorities and ensuring the greatest possible impact, FMCI recently underwent a comprehensive review that led to this decision. We are deeply grateful for the many ways FMCI has supported communities over the years, and for everyone who has been part of its meaningful work.

Yours,
Renee Markovich, MD, FAAFP
President, AAFP Foundation

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