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Event Series:
National Primary Care Week
National Primary Care Week
September 3 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
National Primary Care Week
Family medicine interest groups have a lead role in promoting National Primary Care Week (NPCW). National Primary Care Week is an annual event hosted by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA). This awareness week celebrates and highlights the importance of primary care. It takes place during the first week of October. Each day allows you to raise awareness about family primary care.
Why National Primary Care Week?
Family medicine is an essential part of the primary care workforce. In fact, more family physicians practice primary care in the U.S. than any other specialty. Not only that, family physicians best match the geographic makeup up of communities in the U.S. This means that many underserved communities rely on their family doctors as a lifeline.
What’s the Goal of National Primary Care Week?
The goal of NPCW is to engage physicians-in-training, students across the health care spectrum, and the public about the indispensable role of primary care in our health care system. This is done through special programming and communications.
NPCW activities are an opportunity for student groups to help others learn about, experience, and spread awareness of primary care’s pivotal role in the U.S. health care system. These efforts can happen at school, in the community, and across social media.
NPCW Themed Virtual Events: Day-by-Day
Medical students are leaders when it comes to growing a stronger primary care workforce for future generations. Along with showcasing health care outside of the hospital, in the past the American Medical Student Association has highlighted the importance of advocacy in health during NPCW. The “Advocacy in Action” series guided students on lifting their voices through “Lifting Voices of Future Physicians: Writing Effective LTEs” and several other advocacy writing sessions.
Additionally, there have been other themed sessions throughout the week that have spoken to specific areas of primary care:
- “Panel Discussion: Primary Care in a Changing Climate” hosted by the Environmental Health Action Committee
- “Home Centered Care Institute (HCCI): Bringing Family Medicine Back Home” hosted by HCCI
- “How YOU Can Help Set AMSA’s Stances on Primary Care” Hosted by AMSA’s Health Policy team
- “Physicians in Writing” hosted by GoodRx
- “Get Comfortable” Gender Inclusion” hosted by AMSA’s Genders & Sexuality Action Committee
How to Organize National Primary Care Week Activities on Your Campus
1. Pick Your Date
If the scheduled week isn’t ideal for your campus, celebrate NPCW when it would have the biggest impact.
2. Consider Collaborating
Contact your American Medical Student Association chapter and other campus groups to see if they’d like to collaborate on an event.
Primary care benefits everyone, everywhere, and it takes many health professionals and physicians to make this care happen. That makes NPCW the perfect time to expand the network of students and organizations you usually work with.
3. Choose Your Programming
Organize events on your medical school campus that focus on primary care, and that define and highlight family medicine’s key role. Here are some ideas:
Use materials from the AAFP to support your efforts:
- Find programming ideas to help you plan for Primary Care Week.
- You may also scan winning applications from the AAFP’s Program of Excellence Awards for programming examples from other FMIGs.
Funding for National Primary Care Week
Your family medicine specialty group, AMSA chapter, or other student organization may be eligible to receive funding for special National Primary Care Week programming. Read about the Family Medicine Student Organization Grant Program to see what funding opportunities are available.