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...
info_outline
CME | When colleagues are struggling: a conversation on physician suicide prevention
Inside Family Medicine
In this episode of CME On the Go, family physicians Janet West, MD, and Michelle Chestovich, MD, share deeply personal experiences with suicide and explore why physicians can struggle to recognize and address mental health challenges in themselves and their colleagues. Through their stories, they examine the culture of medicine, the stigma surrounding mental health treatment, and the importance of creating environments where asking for help is viewed as a strength rather than a weakness. Janet shares her experience surviving a suicide attempt in 2023 and reflects on how...
info_outline
FFFM | State and Local Advocacy at Work
Inside Family Medicine
In this episode of Fighting for Family Medicine, AAFP Vice President of Government Relations David Tully recaps the Academy’s September advocacy efforts before sitting down with Julie Harrison, Senior Manager of State Affairs and Member Advocacy, to examine some of the biggest policy trends and state-level wins for family medicine during the 2026 legislative sessions. Tully highlights the AAFP’s advocacy efforts during the months of August and September, including immunizations, Medicare physician payment, prior authorization, rural obstetric care and the primary care workforce....
info_outline
IFM | New Oral Medication to Prevent COVID-19 After Exposure
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...
info_outline
IFM | How we create vaccine guidance
Inside Family Medicine
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...
info_outline
IFM | From Passion to Impact: How AAFP Foundation Programs Empower the Next Generation
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
IFM | The FMIG effect: Finding community, building leaders and choosing family medicine
Inside Family Medicine
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...
info_outline
CME | AI as a Partner in Whole-Person Care: Empowering Clinicians, Enhancing Workflows
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outlineIn this episode of Fighting for Family Medicine, AAFP Vice President of Government Relations David Tully recaps the Academy’s September advocacy efforts before sitting down with Julie Harrison, Senior Manager of State Affairs and Member Advocacy, to examine some of the biggest policy trends and state-level wins for family medicine during the 2026 legislative sessions.
Tully highlights the AAFP’s advocacy efforts during the months of August and September, including immunizations, Medicare physician payment, prior authorization, rural obstetric care and the primary care workforce. He also reviews several regulatory issues the AAFP weighed in over the past several weeks.
The conversation then turns to state legislatures, where Julie identifies four major themes from 2026: scope of practice, insurer reform, physician workforce investment, and increased attention to primary care investment. She highlights efforts involving prior authorization and insurer downcoding, loan repayment and physician recruitment, primary care spending and policies supporting physician-led, team-based care. The AAFP maintains state policy resources covering these issues, including backgrounders on prior authorization, primary care spending, scope of practice and workforce policy.
Julie also explains why state advocacy matters even for physicians who do not consider themselves policy experts. She encourages family physicians to stay connected with their state chapters, use AAFP advocacy resources, and respond when opportunities arise to contact lawmakers or share firsthand experiences from practice. The episode emphasizes that many policies affecting day-to-day patient care and medical practice are decided at the state level — and that physician participation can help inform those decisions.
Episode hosts
David Tully
Vice president of government relations and member of the AAFP advocacy team
Julie Harrison
Sr. Manager, State Affairs and Member Advocacy
Resources
Topics By Timestamp
00:00 September advocacy roundup
00:35 Fall immunization recommendations and vaccine access
01:53 Medicare payment, prior authorization and rural care advocacy
03:09 Regulatory updates affecting family physicians
05:59 Looking back at the 2026 state legislative sessions
06:30 Four major state policy trends for family medicine
10:02 Prior authorization and insurer reform victories
11:26 Primary care investment and workforce initiatives
13:52 Protecting physician-led, team-based care
16:39 How family physicians can get involved in state advocacy
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 American Academy of Family Physicians.