STFM Podcast Bonus Conference Episode

2026 Conference on Medical Student Education Opening Session

As a special episode of the STFM Podcast, listen to an audio recording of the opening general session of the 2026 STFM Conference on Medical Student Education: "Extending Beyond Medical Dispositions — Exploring and Utilizing Your Community’s Safety Net" by Evelyn Figueroa, MD, University of Illinois Chicago.

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Friday, January 30, 2026

Evelyn Figueroa, MD, is a Chicago-based family physician who has operated an anti-poverty nonprofit since 2017. In this session, Dr Figueroa shares her academic journey to community-centered family medicine and provides best practices for locating social services across the country. From city-funded assistance to programs sponsored by non-government organizations, support varies significantly across the country. Dr Figueroa shares her approach for swiftly locating free resources that address gaps in social determinants of health.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to:

Describe how state residency, gender, marital status, and other social markers resource access.
Improve their skills at locating patient-centered community resources.
Reflect on how three social determinants, including racism, impact the health of their patients

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Evelyn Figueroa, MD

Evelyn Figueroa, MD, is the founder and executive director of the Figueroa Wu Family Foundation, an anti-poverty organization. She serves as the director of the Pilsen Food Pantry, the Foundation’s largest program. From an early age, Dr Figueroa recognized the dire effects of poverty and discrimination on Chicago communities. She became a family physician in the hopes of serving marginalized populations. For over 2 decades, Dr Figueroa has worked as an academic physician and is currently a professor and the director of community engagement in her department. With her students in mind, Dr Figueroa built the nonprofit to provide experiential service learning and allow community based participatory research. In the summer of 2023, Dr Figueroa sponsored medical students for the creation of a free health clinic for uninsured people in the Pantry’s building. Dr Figueroa has received numerous awards for her teaching and advocacy work. In 2024, she was given an Illinois Academy of Family Physicians President’s Award and in 2025 Dr Figueroa was honored with the STFM Advocate Award.

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Tips for Using STFM's AI Assistant

STFM's AI Assistant is designed to help you find information and answers about Family Medicine education. While it's a powerful tool, getting the best results depends on how you phrase your questions. Here's how to make the most of your interactions:

1. Avoid Ambiguous Language

Be Clear and Specific: Use precise terms and avoid vague words like "it" or "that" without clear references.

Example:

Instead of: "Can you help me with that?"

Try: "Can you help me update our Family Medicine clerkship curriculum?"

Why this is important: Ambiguous language can confuse the AI, leading to irrelevant or unclear responses. Clear references help the chatbot understand exactly what you're asking.

2. Use Specific Terms

Identify the Subject Clearly: Clearly state the subject or area you need information about.

Example:

Instead of: "What resources does STFM provide?"

Try: "I'm a new program coordinator for a Family Medicine clerkship. What STFM resources are available to help me design or update clerkship curricula?"

Why this is better: Providing details about your role ("program coordinator") and your goal ("design or update clerkship curricula") gives the chatbot enough context to offer more targeted information.

3. Don't Assume the AI Knows Everything

Provide Necessary Details:The STFM AI Assistant has been trained on STFM's business and resources. The AI can only use the information you provide or that it has been trained on.

Example:

Instead of: "How can I improve my program?"

Try: "As a program coordinator for a Family Medicine clerkship, what resources does STFM provide to help me improve student engagement and learning outcomes?"

Why this is important: Including relevant details helps the AI understand your specific situation, leading to more accurate and useful responses.

4. Reset if You Change Topics

Clear Chat History When Switching Topics:

If you move to a completely new topic and the chatbot doesn't recognize the change, click the Clear Chat History button and restate your question.

Note: Clearing your chat history removes all previous context from the chatbot's memory.

Why this is important: Resetting ensures the AI does not carry over irrelevant information, which could lead to confusion or inaccurate answers.

5. Provide Enough Context

Include Background Information: The more context you provide, the better the chatbot can understand and respond to your question.

Example:

Instead of: "What are the best practices?"

Try: "In the context of Family Medicine education, what are the best practices for integrating clinical simulations into the curriculum?"

Why this is important: Specific goals, constraints, or preferences allow the AI to tailor its responses to your unique needs.

6. Ask One Question at a Time

Break Down Complex Queries: If you have multiple questions, ask them separately.

Example:

Instead of: "What are the requirements for faculty development, how do I register for conferences, and what grants are available?"

Try: Start with "What are the faculty development requirements for Family Medicine educators?" Then follow up with your other questions after receiving the response.

Why this is important: This approach ensures each question gets full attention and a complete answer.

Examples of Good vs. Bad Prompts

Bad Prompt

"What type of membership is best for me?"

Why it's bad: The AI Chat Assistant has no information about your background or needs.

Good Prompt

"I'm the chair of the Department of Family Medicine at a major university, and I plan to retire next year. I'd like to stay involved with Family Medicine education. What type of membership is best for me?"

Why it's good: The AI Chat Assistant knows your role, your future plans, and your interest in staying involved, enabling it to provide more relevant advice.

Double Check Important Information

While the AI Chat Assistant is a helpful tool, it can still produce inaccurate or incomplete responses. Always verify critical information with reliable sources or colleagues before taking action.

Technical Limitations

The Chat Assistant:

Cannot access external websites or open links
Cannot process or view images
Cannot make changes to STFM systems or process transactions
Cannot access real-time information (like your STFM Member Profile information)

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2026 Conference on Medical Student Education Opening Session

Friday, January 30, 2026

Learning Objectives

Listen to All Episodes

Evelyn Figueroa, MD

Contact Us

Events

Deadlines

Useful Links

AI Chatbot Tips

Tips for Using STFM's AI Assistant

1. Avoid Ambiguous Language

Example:

2. Use Specific Terms

Example:

3. Don't Assume the AI Knows Everything

Example:

4. Reset if You Change Topics

5. Provide Enough Context

Example:

6. Ask One Question at a Time

Example:

Examples of Good vs. Bad Prompts

Bad Prompt

Good Prompt

Double Check Important Information

Technical Limitations

STFM AI Assistant