FMIG students, faculty, and staff pose with Program of Excellence Award plaque.
The University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) was named a 2026 American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Program of Excellence for the fifth consecutive year. Some points of pride for the 2026 academic year include:
- Introducing incoming M1 students to the breadth of family medicine through our annual “What is Family Medicine?” presentation.
- Providing opportunities to practice common family medicine procedures at the annual procedures fair.
- Highlighting obstetric care through the Basic Life Support and Obstetrics course.
- Hosting noon talks featuring family physicians practicing in emergency rooms, fellowship-trained physicians, and clinicians providing rural obstetric care.
- Connecting students with faculty mentors for residency guidance and personalized support.
- Creating opportunities for students to connect with family medicine physicians and peers through social events, dinners, and shared clinical interests.
FMIG is a student-run organization that is supported by the UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and the American Academy of Family Physicians. It is structured to give medical students with an interest in family medicine a supportive environment in which to explore family medicine and gain experience in the specialty. The program offers a variety of talks, workshops, and social events and is advised by Melissa Ricker-Bouche, MD, FMIG faculty advisor, and Nicole Watson, FMIG staff advisor.
The AAFP FMIG Program of Excellence Award aims to recognize the unique achievements of family medicine interest groups across the country and celebrate the contributions that FMIGs make to the specialty of family medicine.
The mission of the American Academy of Family Physicians is to improve the health of patients, families, and communities by serving family physicians’ needs with professionalism and creativity with a vision of transforming health care to achieve optimal health for everyone.
Published: July 2026