GUS Medical Schools Receive 2024 Program of Excellence Award
American Academy of Family Physicians Recognize Student-Led Family Medicine Interest Group.
We’re proud to share that GUS Medical Schools – Saba University School of Medicine (Saba), Medical University of the Americas (MUA) and St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine (SMUSOM) – were recently awarded the 2024 Program of Excellence Award by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
This award recognizes the development of a brand-new, student-led Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) that includes members from all three medical schools. The aim of this group, and other FMIGs like it that also received the 2024 award, is to grow and support interest in family medicine, and thereby enrich medical systems around the world.
President and Founder Aalyia Rana, an SMUSOM student, shared more about the group’s founding: “Our goal was to create a community across three sister schools to foster interest in Family Medicine by sharing knowledge, resources and experiences. Through collaboration among SMUSOM, MUA and Saba, we hoped to establish a unique platform for students to explore the diverse aspects of family medicine and build connections with peers and mentors.”
The group was originally founded in 2023 on the SMUSOM Grand Cayman campus, where Aalyia and other early members worked closely with faculty and their group-advisor, Dr. Linda Berardi-Demo, Executive Vice President of Enrollment and Student Support at GUS Med & Vet, to clearly outline the group’s structure, secure funding and formalize their focus. Once established, students from our other medical campuses took notice and began to express interest, which soon led to the group’s expansion. The GUS Med FMIG was then born.
Today, the group fosters interest in family medicine in a variety of informative and exciting ways. They participate in community outreach projects that help serve vulnerable populations, hold clinical workshops where students expand their medical skills and have even participated in simulations with a DaVinci Robot (robotic surgery). To help members get a sense of future opportunities in family medicine, they recently hosted a “post-match table talk,” where current students who matched into a family medicine related residency shared their experiences about the match process. And coming up soon, they plan to organize a panel of current family medicine residents to discuss what residency programs look for in new applicants. All to help the medical students of today become the exceptional family medicine doctors of tomorrow!
Although new, Aalyia knows the group can achieve big things: “I hope GUS Med FMIG continues to grow, collaborate and network. I’d like to enhance community engagement on all three islands, as well as in the U.S. I hope the FMIG continues to facilitate networking opportunities with alumni, residents and practicing physicians, and continues to advocate for family medicine and highlight the specialty’s contribution to health care. Mostly, I hope GUS Med FMIG serves our student body in the way each member needs.”
Students from the GUS Med FMIG were honored in early August during the AAFP National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students in Kansas City, Missouri. This wonderful event highlighted and celebrated the group’s accomplishments, and provided students with the opportunity to network with peers and hear from family medicine industry leaders.
On behalf of GUS Med & Vet, Dr. Linda Berardi-Demo, FMIG Group Advisor, shared “We are so proud of the innovation and commitment of our students. Their work truly exemplifies our mission and values. We can’t wait to see everything the Family Medicine Interest Group will achieve!”
Please join us in congratulating all the students who worked so hard to form this amazing group. They truly deserve the 2024 Program of Excellence Award!
About GUS Medical and Veterinary Schools
GUS Medical and Veterinary Schools, where innovation and excellence seamlessly intertwine to shape the future of healthcare and veterinary sciences, stand as leaders in education, research and clinical practice. Our institutions, namely, Saba University School of Medicine, Medical University of the Americas, and St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine, are dedicated to nurturing the next generation of medical and veterinary professionals. GUS Med & Vet is a member of the Global University Systems (GUS) network of international higher education institutions.
About American Academy of Family Physicians
Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 130,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the largest medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits — that’s 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine and the AAFP’s positions on issues and clinical care, visit www.aafp.org. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s consumer website, www.familydoctor.org.
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