Nailah Adams is an MS4 at Duke University School of Medicine. She has been involved in her school's FMIG since her first year, and through her leadership efforts has helped create a much more active group.
"Students can do sports medicine through family medicine, they can do geriatrics through family medicine, there's global health— there are so many opportunities available through family medicine," she said. "I just wanted to make students really aware of and excited about those things."
Nailah serves as National Coordinator of the FMIG Network for the 2011-12 academic year.
How did you decide to pursue family medicine?
I actually didn't know there was anything besides family medicine until high school because I'm from a place where family medicine and primary care are basically the essentials of medicine. It was very easy for me to figure out that I like working with people, I love outpatient clinic, I love to help, I love to care and I want to teach, and family medicine encompasses all of those things. It was a very easy decision.
Why do you think family medicine is important?
I think that every patient who comes for help, who comes for assistance, is so individual and they bring with them a lot of issues that may not have anything to do directly with their particular problem. I think family physicians are equipped with the training to take care of all of those other ailments — not just a particular organ, not just a particular spot, but everything. The entire person.
What do you enjoy the most about family medicine?
At the end of a clinic day, I am really refreshed and happy about the learning that took place and the care that took place for patients and I just, I love that revitalizing feeling. It's making a difference in somebody's life.
After your first experience with your FMIG on campus, what made you stick with the group and pursue a student leadership role?
I stuck with the group because not many other people at my school are interested in family medicine. It's traditionally a specialty school and a research/academic setting, which is great, but I was interested in primary care. We have faculty advisors who are so dedicated to our success and love family medicine as practitioners and it was very contagious. And it was nice to be around people who wanted to do family medicine like I did.
Why do you think the FMIG Network is important?
The Network is so crucial to let students know that there are lots of other students interested in family medicine and to keep on going and keep pursuing that career choice. I have been involved as the Region 5 FMIG Coordinator, which is in the Southeast U.S., and I have been corresponding with students, talking with them, meeting them at National Conference. They are very happy to know so many other students around them have the same ideas and excitement about family medicine as they do. It's also a great way to find out about opportunities, about scholarships, about research opportunities and genral information about things that are going on in family medicine that can come right to them. They don't have to go seeking information — it comes to them.
What do you hope to accomplish in the upcoming year as a student leader?
This year, I hope to increase collaboration among FMIGs, especially with regard to community service activities. I also plan on working with state AFP chatpers, where needed, to increse student-targeted events and opportunities for involvement. Finally, increasing the activity and programming resources available to FMIG leaders — essentially, trying to make their lives easier — would be another goal.
What do you recommend to other students who are considering student leadership roles?
I would say go for it. Just absolutely go for it. If you feel inside that you have ideas to share, you have a contribution to make, then please, please step-up and share your ideas. Try out for a position. You never know — you might get it! The AAFP has been so accommodating and welcoming to students to help them lead and carry out their missions and it's just a really great opportunity for students to reach other students just like them as leaders.
It would also be a great idea to contact the person in the position to which you wish to apply to get a better sense of the actual roles, time and travel commitments, goals and opportunities.
Want to know more about how you can get involved? Contact Nailah. And be sure to follow Nailah on Twitter @safi1205.
