Spotlight

Written by Natalie Hamilton (she/her/hers), MD

The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Annual Conference in New Orleans in May this year brought together educators, clinicians, and leaders from across the country with a shared commitment to advancing family medicine education. I had the opportunity to attend thanks to the generosity of the Department of Engagement through the DFM. Dr. Alicia Wong and I were accepted for a panel to present “Enhancing Disability Care Competency: Integrating a Comprehensive Care Curriculum into the University of Colorado Family Medicine Residency (UCFMR). According to a study, only 41% of practicing U.S. physicians reported being "very confident" about providing the same quality of care to people with disabilities as to those without. In our DFM health equity survey from the last couple years, our providers showed even lower rates of confidence (30%) in their ability to provide equitable care to patients with disabilities.

Our panel members (see below) included Dr. Corey Lyon, program director of UCFMR, Dr. Alex Reed, director of behavioral science education, and Dr. Sarah Beaverson, 3^rd year family medicine resident. We had a great discussion about the various didactics, elective opportunities, extracurriculars, and fellowship that are available in the residency program to enhance residents’ understanding of caring for patients with disabilities. The curriculum was started in 2018 by Dr. Alicia Wong and joining as a resident myself in 2021, we have been able to expand the curriculum in exciting and innovative ways that our residents have enjoyed.

The New Orleans setting added unique energy, and we were able to connect with many alumni from UCFMR from across the country and hear about the amazing things they are doing to advance family medicine education. Overall, the conference reinforced a strong sense of community within family medicine and a collective focus on improving both education and patient care. I am so proud of the work we are doing within our residency and department to advance health equity and look forward to continuing to advance this work further.