Introduction

This handbook is your guide to the structure of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. Use it to become familiar with the workings of the organization and for assistance in planning your participation in STFM activities. The Society is a reflection of the interests and enthusiasm of our members. Your involvement will enrich it and shape our future.

STFM was founded in 1967 to respond to the needs of family physician educators. From a small beginning of 105 founding members, we have grown to a membership of more than 5,000 family medicine educators. The administrative offices are housed with the American Academy of Family Physicians in Leawood, Kansas, enhancing the close relationship and support between the two organizations. STFM has a 16-person staff in Leawood, Kansas, and 2 staff members in Washington, DC.

Mission and Goals

As we have grown, the goals of the Society has been revised to respond to the changing needs of our members and the academic environment.

STFM is dedicated to improving the health of all people through education, research, patient care, and advocacy. The Society directs its efforts toward the following goals as it works to accomplish its mission:

• Promote excellence and innovation in family medicine education
• Foster a scholarly approach to clinical practice and teaching
• Promote members’ interest and skills in appraising, applying, and conducting research in the discipline of family medicine
• Assure education in the fundamentals of family medicine to all physicians
• Support collaboration and collegiality within the discipline of family medicine
• Enhance diversity within the organization with regard to professional discipline, cultural background, location of practice, and teaching
• Prepare members to become leaders within their organizations and communities
• Study, develop, and promote educational models that address the needs of families and communities, with emphasis on underserved populations

Addressing the Mission

The Society engages in a number of activities to meet its purpose, all of which are designed to enhance communication and facilitate the activities of our members. Some of these activities include:

Publications—The Society publishes Family Medicine, a monthly scholarly journal featuring clinical and educational research articles that help define the discipline. The STFM Messenger provides a bimonthly update of STFM activities. The Society also publishes and distributes books, monographs, and videotapes of interest to family medicine educators. STFM members also receive free subscription to the Annals of Family Medicine, the peer reviewed research journal that seeks to address important questions in health and the provision of patient-centered, prioritized, high-quality health care.

Meetings—The Annual Spring Conference is held in late spring and attracts more than 1,000 participants. These meetings provide the opportunity to hear plenary speakers address issues facing academic family medicine, and they offer a wide variety of workshops and other skill-building and informational sessions. Most importantly, they provide an opportunity for individuals with special interests to come together, share information, and plan their activities.

The Society sponsors other conferences that reflect an ongoing interest of our members. Presentations for these meetings are selected through a peer-reviewed call for papers process. STFM's annual conferences include:

• The Predoctoral Education Conference focusing on medical student education, held in late winter.
• The Conference on Families and Health, held early in the spring.
• The Conference on Patient Education, cosponsored with the AAFP in the fall.

The Society also conducts special interest meetings from time to time, covering a variety of subjects. In addition, STFM members host regional meetings that provide junior and senior faculty an opportunity to present and network with peers within their region.

Web Site—Visit the STFM Web site, which offers a variety of information of interest to family medicine educators, including Family Medicine abstracts, conference information, position opportunities, STFM group information, links to other sites, and more! Along with public information on Society activities, you’ll have access to features of the Web site available only to STFM members.

Networking—STFM members place a high value on the opportunities provided for communication among individuals with common interests and goals. At any given time, there are 30 to 40 special interest groups (officially named Groups on . . . ) operating within the Society. These groups provide an opportunity for you to become involved in your area of special interest. The annual report contains a listing of these groups and an outline of their activities; you will find the members responsive to your needs and eager to assist as you become involved in the Society.

Structure of the Organization

The Society is governed by a 16-person Board of Directors, which meets quarterly to discuss issues important to the organization. The elected officers of the Board are the president, president-elect, immediate past president, secretary-treasurer, two representatives to the AAMC Council of Academic Societies, and three members-at-large.

Elections for these positions take place at the Annual Spring Conference, with absentee ballots available to those members who cannot be in attendance. Members in the active physician and active nonphysician membership categories are eligible to vote and to be nominated for any of these positions. Any member can nominate an eligible person for office, with nominations coming formally through the Nominations Committee.

The Board also includes a resident and a student representative, who sit in advisory capacities.

The remaining Board members include the executive director and the chairs of the Society’s six standing committees, appointed by the president and ratified by the Board. Committee members are nominated by the incoming chair and ratified by the Board. Each committee consists of a chair and seven members, who serve 2-year terms.

Ongoing STFM activities are accomplished through these committees:

• The Communications Committee oversees the publication of Family Medicine, STFM electronic communications, policies related to STFM awards, and publications recommended for distribution through the STFM Bookstore.
• The Education Committee oversees STFM's educational programs and curriculum development, plans the Predoctoral Education Conference, and focuses on the faculty development needs of members.
• The Legislative Affairs Committee represents the interests of family medicine by monitoring and advocating STFM positions to appropriate government agencies. It also oversees the bylaws of the organization.
• The Membership Committee reviews and develops membership promotions and programs and monitors members’ needs and the Society’s ability to respond to those needs.
• The Program Committee plans the Annual Spring Conference, which serves as a showcase for the latest developments in family medicine education and research.
• The Research Committee reviews research papers submitted for the Annual Spring Conference and promotes the continued development of researchers, research activities, and research support for family medicine.

STFM’s special committees reflect major long-term commitments of the organization, including:

• An International Committee to review international opportunities and develop appropriate linkages, and
• A Strategic Planning Committee to explore future needs and directions.

Membership Categories

Active Physician Member - $235
Any physician who is in a teaching position or is actively involved in the organization, administration, or promotion of family medicine.

Active Nonphysician Member - $175
Any other individual who is in a teaching position or is actively involved in the organization, administration, or promotion of family medicine.

Associate Member - $105
Any part-time family medicine teacher or community preceptor who devotes no more than 10 hours per week or 3 months per year to a family medicine program. This category also applies to physicians in private practice.

Affiliate Member
Any fellow-in-training ($80), resident ($60), or medical student ($25) in an approved family practice program, department, or medical school.

International Member - $105
Any individual who either holds a teaching position or is actively involved in the organization, administration, or promotion of family medicine who resides outside the United States and Canada.

Emeritus Member - No Fee
Any individual who has held an active (voting) membership in STFM for a period of 10 years and who has retired from professional activities or has reached age 70. Emeritus members may choose to subscribe to the Family Medicine journal at a reduced rate ($25/yr).

Policy Development

Several basic mechanisms for STFM policy development are provided for in the organization’s bylaws and the STFM Policy Manual. The Board generally handles the affairs of the Society, including policy development, and incorporates input from standing committees, ad hoc committees, or other specially appointed groups into decisions on policies.

STFM routinely takes action on issues regarding federal funding for family medicine education, on issues such as loan deferments, on Title VII legislation, and on other federal legislation directly affecting departments and residency programs. The Society has not routinely addressed broader social issues, although the Pesticide Policy is an exception.

For information on STFM's legislative initiatives, contact the director of government affairs at the Washington, DC, office.

Any STFM member or group of members can ask the Board to discuss a given issue by addressing a request to the STFM office. The Board is receptive to member input and solicits comments and recommendations from groups of members as needed for its deliberations.

At the Annual Spring Conference, the Society holds an annual business meeting. The purpose of this session is to update and inform members of STFM activities during the year and to provide members a formal opportunity to engage Board members in discussions about STFM and to propose resolutions for consideration by the Board.

The Heart of the Organization

The strength of STFM is indisputably the energy, creativity, and commitment of its members. The individual and collective efforts of the members have resulted in numerous contributions to the evolution of family medicine. This energy is seen at its best in the activities of the Society’s special interest groups, which are organized around a topic of interest to a number of members who apply for and are given official sanction by the Board of Directors.

Groups:
• Are open to all members.
• Share their activities with the Board through a designated liaison.

Participating in groups that interest you is a key to obtaining the most from your membership. You will find that you are welcomed, whatever your expertise, whether you are a new or an established member of the Society. If your interests are not reflected in the annual report list of existing groups, there is an established mechanism for forming new ones. The Kansas City staff will tell you how to begin the process.

Staff Support

Your membership fee supports an office and a professional staff in Leawood, Kansas, as well as in Washington, DC. Use them. They are an invaluable source of information and support. If they cannot answer your questions, they will put you in touch with a member who can. Their telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses are listed on the inside cover of this handbook.

You will find this organization a vibrant reflection of the field of academic family medicine. As we have grown and matured, the Society has sought to respond to changes in medical education and research and to develop the knowledge and skills of our members so that we can be full participants in the academic community. This evolutionary process remains dynamic and places the Society in an excellent position to influence and respond to future changes in academic medicine.

Enjoy your participation!