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IFM | Plot twist: Embracing the unexpected in family medicine careers show art IFM | Plot twist: Embracing the unexpected in family medicine careers

Inside Family Medicine

In this episode of the Inside Family Medicine podcast, host Adam Bradley talks with Victoria Boggiano, MD, MPH, and Connie Leeper, MD, MPH, about the unexpected turns that can shape a career in family medicine.  Boggiano and Leeper share the experiences that led them to the specialty and the career “plot twists” that followed. Boggiano reflects on an early interest in health policy, anthropology and global health before finding her way to clinical medicine, public health and academic family medicine. Leeper discusses entering medicine with an interest in sports medicine and global...

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CME | When colleagues are struggling: a conversation on physician suicide prevention show art CME | When colleagues are struggling: a conversation on physician suicide prevention

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Inside Family Medicine

In this special sponsored episode of the Inside Family Medicine podcast, brought to you by Shionogi, host Darren Sextro talks with family physician Ben Silverberg, MD, about ensitrelvir, a newly approved oral medication for COVID-19 post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).  Dr. Silverberg explains how the medication works to inhibit viral replication and discusses findings from the Phase III SCORPIO-PEP trial, which evaluated ensitrelvir among household contacts of people with confirmed COVID-19. The conversation highlights the importance of starting post-exposure prophylaxis quickly, along...

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IFM | How we create vaccine guidance show art IFM | How we create vaccine guidance

Inside Family Medicine

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Inside Family Medicine

In this episode of Inside Family Medicine, host Margot L. Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP, talks with family medicine residents Katie Allan, MD, and Bridget Bunda, MD, recipients of the AAFP Foundation's Family Medicine Cares Resident Service Award. They share how a community-identified need in Boise grew into a resident-supported program providing wound care, health screenings and other services to people experiencing homelessness.  The conversation explores what it means to meet patients where they are, build trust through consistency and listen before acting. Allan...

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FFFM | Strengthening immunization access and advocating for public health show art FFFM | Strengthening immunization access and advocating for public health

Inside Family Medicine

Join David Tully, vice president of government relations and a member of the AAFP’s advocacy team, and Julie Riley, AAFP manager of legislative affairs, for this episode of Inside Family Medicine as they dive into the Academy’s work to protect vaccine access and evidence-based immunization policy at the federal and state levels.  Get updates on the AAFP’s priorities around vaccine coverage and infrastructure, including efforts to close Medicare vaccine coverage gaps, protect immunization programs and...

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In this episode of the Inside Family Medicine podcast, host Adam Bradley, AAFP Manager of Student Choice, explores how Family Medicine Interest Groups (FMIGs) help medical students discover the possibilities within family medicine.  Student leaders Sharleen Cineas of Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine and Gabriella Morin of East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine share what drew them to family medicine. They discuss the specialty’s emphasis on treating the whole person, caring for patients throughout...

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Inside Family Medicine

In this episode of CME On the Go, our hosts explore artificial intelligence as a partner in whole-person care and examine how family physicians can thoughtfully incorporate AI into clinical practice without losing the human judgment and relationships at the heart of family medicine.  They break down what today’s AI tools can – and cannot – do, including the differences between traditional artificial intelligence, large language models and the still-theoretical concept of artificial general intelligence. The conversation addresses common concerns...

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IFM | Residency Selection Improvement Initiative: Enhancing Family Medicine Recruitment and Applicant Experience show art IFM | Residency Selection Improvement Initiative: Enhancing Family Medicine Recruitment and Applicant Experience

Inside Family Medicine

In this episode of the Inside Family Medicine podcast, AAFP Executive Vice President and CEO, Shawn Martin, speaks with a panel of family medicine leaders about the Residency Selection Improvement Initiative, or RSII, and its goal of creating a more effective, efficient and equitable residency selection process.  Guests Karen Mitchell, MD, FAAFP, AAFP Vice President of National Residency and Academic Partnerships; Grace Chen Yu, MD, FAAFP; Raj Woolever, MD, FAAFP; Saroj Misra, DO, FACOFP; and Molly Stegman, MD, discuss...

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In this episode of the Inside Family Medicine podcast, host Michael Monroe talks with Margot Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP, AAFP chief medical officer and senior vice president for education, inclusiveness and physician well-being, and Danielle Carter, MD, FAAFP, about how the Academy develops evidence-based immunization recommendations in a changing vaccine policy environment. 

They explain how the AAFP historically worked alongside the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and other medical organizations to review vaccine evidence and translate it into practical guidance for family physicians. Savoy and Carter discuss why that process needed to evolve beginning in 2025 and how the AAFP has built a new approach designed to preserve rigorous evidence review, transparency and independence from nonscientific influence. 

They walk through the new process, including evidence synthesis from the Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP), collaboration with other medical societies and review by the AAFP’s Vaccine Evidence Review Council, Commission on Health of the Public and Science (CHPS) and Board of Directors. The goal remains the same: provide recommendations that family physicians can trust and realistically implement in everyday practice. 

The episode also turns to the questions physicians are hearing from patients as respiratory virus season begins. Carter reviews common questions surrounding COVID-19, RSV and influenza vaccination and discusses how family physicians can tailor recommendations to each patient’s age, health conditions, pregnancy status and individual concerns. Savoy and Carter emphasize that vaccine hesitancy is often an opportunity for conversation rather than a simple yes-or-no position, and that listening to patients’ concerns can strengthen trust well beyond immunization decisions. 

 

References and resources 

 

Topics by Timestamp 

00:00 Vaccine Hesitancy 
00:55 How AAFP vaccine recommendations were traditionally developed 
03:44 Why the vaccine recommendation process changed 
05:22 How the AAFP’s new evidence review process works 
08:39 Family physicians take the lead in reviewing evidence 
11:18 How recommendations receive final AAFP approval 
13:53 What patients are asking about fall vaccines 
15:58 COVID-19, RSV and flu recommendations 
18:28 Talking with patients who have vaccine concerns 
21:31 Why trusted family physicians still make a difference 

 

 

Disclaimer  

Copyright 2026. AAFP. The views presented in this broadcast are the speaker's own and do not represent those of AAFP. The information presented is for general, educational, or entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal, health, financial, or other advice. AAFP makes no representation as to the accuracy or completeness of the information and is not responsible for results that may arise from its use. Consult an appropriate professional concerning your specific situation and respective governing bodies for applicable laws. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by AAFP unless specifically stated otherwise. AAFP and the AAFP logo are registered trademarks of the American Academy of Family Physicians.