Committee Reports

International Committee Report

The International Committee of STFM is a special committee whose mission is to promote (1) the understanding and teaching of family medicine throughout the world, (2) the training of family physicians able to address health care needs in their communities, and (3) the spirit of international cooperation for the mutual development of all participants. The committee membership consists of STFM faculty with expertise and interest in the development of family medicine internationally. They work to foster exchange between teachers of family medicine to foster mutual learning, strengthen family and community medicine teaching throughout the world, and are involved in the development and distribution of culturally sensitive family medicine undergraduate and graduate curricula and teaching methodology.

Update
It has been an exciting year for the committee and its members. According to the AAMC, the percentage of graduating US medical students reporting participation in international health electives during medical school reached nearly 25% last year, up from 6.2% in 1984. With global health assuming an increasingly prominent position in family medicine education, our members’ capacity for networking and touching the lives of students and residents is growing. More than 70 persons, most of them members of the committee, gathered in September 2006 for the AAFP’s International Family Medicine Workshop in Portland, Maine. There they connected, shared experiences and ideas, and heard presentations on the expansion of the family medicine model throughout the world. Five members are serving as editors for a special edition of Family Medicine devoted to global family medicine education. More than 50 articles have been submitted for consideration for this edition, many by committee members, which is expected to be published in the fall of 2007. Additionally, we’ve resumed publication of an international committee newsletter after a 3-year hiatus.

Annual Meeting
During the 2006 STFM Annual Spring Conference, the committee convened to hear reports on the international activities of members and available opportunities for involvement with other groups sharing committee goals. Members reviewed and discussed synergistic and relevant activities ongoing through the Global Health Education Consortium (GHEC), the STFM Northeast Region Meeting, the AAFP International Family Medicine Workshop and the Global Health Consortium, and Wonca. Michael Miller, MD, from the University of Wyoming, was selected as chair-elect at the meeting. Bruce Dahlman, MD, was honored with the Gabe Smilkstein award for his tireless efforts to build a family medicine training program in Kenya. Participating in this committee meeting were leaders in family medicine education from every continent. During the 2007 Annual Spring Conference, committee members will hear from Inis Bardella, MD, and others on the preparation of students for international electives, convene for a committee meeting and social event, and hold a discussion on the future role of the committee.

Other Activities
Committee activities provide forums, through a variety of media, for those individuals involved in the advancement of the strategic goals of STFM abroad to network and share vision, strategies, and resources and to encourage one another in their endeavors. The committee listserve provides opportunities for discussion and exchange of expertise and even personnel for projects relevant to the committee’s goals. Networking among committee members is also aided by the committee’s newsletter and by the International Committee Workshop at the Annual Spring Conference. Sadly, our recurring workshop was not accepted for presentation this year, leaving our members without the opportunity for discussion and exchange of expertise that they have become accustomed to over the years. We hope that the Board will consider the critical convening function of this workshop for our committee in future conferences and help us work toward a viable and sustainable presence at the annual meeting. These and other opportunities for interchange permit those in international family medicine education, which are infrequently at the forefront of departmental priority setting, to achieve a sense of collegiality with their counterparts around the nation and world.

Goals
The committee’s goals for the next year include continuing to provide and expand these networking opportunities, producing a valuable contribution to knowledge of global health education through the Family Medicine special edition, and helping to coordinate and promote an active and visible presence of our members at relevant global health forums. In particular, these include the annual meetings of the Global Health Council and Global Health Education Consortium, the STFM Northeast Region Meeting, Wonca 2007, and at the AAFP’s Fall International Family Medicine workshop in Tucson, Ariz.

Andrew Bazemore, MD, MPH, Chair

International Committee
Chair-elect for 2007-2008: Michael Miller, MD
Workshop Coordinator: Cal Wilson, MD

Steering Committee:
Andrew Bazemore MD, MPH                       
William Cayley, MD, MDiv                
Allen Hixon, MD                                 
Tina Holt, MD                                     
Mark Huntington, MD, PhD               
John McCall, PhD                             
Michael Miller, MD                             
Greg Raglow, MD                              
Jonathan Rodnick, MD                      
Spencer Stith, MDiv                          
Cal Wilson, MD

Sim Galazka, MD, Board Liaison

(This committee has more than 50 members)