When I think of the 50-year history of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM), I get warm and fuzzy. It has been a glorious history and I have been fortunate to have viewed most of it.
Joseph Scherger, MD, MPH
Family Medicine From the Beginning
I committed to family medicine in 1973 as a third-year medical student at UCLA, when Tom Stern, MD, was still in Santa Monica. I joined the AAFP and the California chapter and became active, encouraging other medical students to join this emerging counter-culture specialty. I read everything I could and studied the pictures of the founders, such as Lynn Carmichael, MD, G. Gayle Stephens, MD, and so many others. While at the University of Washington in 1977, I jumped at the chance to become the first resident on the STFM Board of Directors. I have been engaged and passionate for this organization ever since.
STFM Is THE FAMILY OF FAMILY MEDICINE
For the first 25 years, Ed Shahady, MD, served as my mentor and father figure, and Marian Bishop, MD, as my mother. (I teased her because she looked like my real mother.) David Swee, MD, was like a brother. Everyone who becomes active in STFM has stories like this. The people of STFM become a family. STFM’s abundant communities allow for many cultural homes and families for faculty.
Growing Academic Family Medicine
Of the many achievements of STFM, a legacy of faculty development shines brightest. From the newbies who attend the conferences in great numbers to the deans and high-level leaders in medical education, STFM, and its Foundation has continued to create stellar training and resources for their development.
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