Family Medicine Week 2026 | Celebrate family physicians

Every family physician has a story about what brought them here. A mentor. A patient. A community. A moment that made the path forward clear.

During Family Medicine Week, Sept. 27–Oct. 3, 2026, we’re celebrating those stories—and the family physicians who continue answering the call every day.

Family Medicine Week is an annual celebration of family physicians and the vital role they play in caring for patients, families and communities.

Family physicians answer the call in countless ways—from caring for patients across generations to strengthening the communities they serve. Their broad training, enduring patient relationships and commitment to comprehensive care make family medicine essential to a strong, sustainable health care system.

This week, we celebrate the physicians who chose family medicine—and continue choosing it every day.

The observance is now in its third year, following its 2024 launch and 2025 expansion.

Maybe it was the family physician who inspired you growing up. A patient encounter you still think about. A mentor who saw something in you. Or the realization that you wanted a career where you could care for the whole person throughout their life.

Whatever called you to family medicine, we want to hear about it.

Share your story and help celebrate the many paths that bring family physicians to the specialty—and the reasons they continue answering the call.

Complete the sentence:
I was called to family medicine when __________.

Download the Family Medicine Week graphics linked below, share your story on social media and follow the conversation to hear from family physicians, residents and students across the country.

Hashtag: #FamilyMedicineWeek

There’s no single path to family medicine. Hear from a medical student, resident, new physician and seasoned family physician about the experiences that led them to the specialty—and what keeps them committed to it today.

Celebrate the physicians answering the call today—and help support those who will answer it tomorrow.

The AAFP Foundation advances programs and opportunities that strengthen family medicine and support the next generation of family physicians.