Discover Family Medicine

The Iowa Academy of Family Physicians believes young students need to meet—not just hear about—real-life physicians from their communities who can share stories about their own experiences and perhaps inspire these students to follow the same path. 

Some example topics our family physicians can present are:

• “What’s in a Doctor’s Bag?”, exposing elementary students to the tools of family physicians and providing them the opportunity to use their own (disposable) stethoscope.

• “How Does a Heart Work?”, teaching middle school students how the heart works through the dissection of a mammal heart specimen.

• “What Our Blood Tells Us”, discussing blood types, human DNA, and other clues our blood tells while using a venipuncture practice kit to introduce the medical art of phlebotomy.

• And more!

Email Kelly Scallon (kscallon@iaafp.org) to invite a family physician to present to your students and help sow the seeds of interest in a career in medicine.

Currently, Iowa is meeting only 41.69% of its of primary care needs, with 934,796 Iowans living in primary care health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) and 97 of Iowa’s 99 counties are partially or entirely in a designated healthcare provider shortage area (HRSA 2024). An additional 174 physicians are needed to remove these shortage designations today.  

The aging population in Iowa increases the demand for primary care providers (PCPs) to meet the health care needs of Iowans. Creating a pathway/mentorship program to primary care from an early age can help increase the interest in primary care.

With support from the AAFP Family Medicine Chapter Alliance and the Iowa Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, the IAFP can provide presentation templates, supplies, and administrative assistance to help our members present in their community school districts. Simply email Kelly Scallon at kscallon@iaafp.org to get started!

IAFP 2025 Annual Conference Student Poster Competition-MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON

The Iowa Academy of Family Physicians invites Iowa HOSA students to submit their scientific posters for a chance to win free registration to the annual Spring Iowa HOSA Conference and a $50 Mastercard gift card!

Selected posters will receive feedback and be judged by family physicians attending the IAFP Annual Conference, held every November. More information coming soon!

Stay tuned for more details!