There's a lot to learn about family medicine.
It's the only specialty where a physician is trained to care for patients from birth to end of life, and the practices options are nearly endless. In collaboration with HOSA, the AAFP has collected videos and articles that cover the basics of medicine's most limitless specialty.
HOSA students can use these resources to study for their upcoming AAFP Family Medicine Career Test or to prepare for their AAFP Family Medicine Physician Competitive Event.
You'll need different resources depending on what HOSA project you're gearing up for. Use the tabs above or links below to find what you need:
- Study materials for acing the AAFP Family Medicine Career Test on family medicine
- Resources for performing at an expert level in the AAFP Family Medicine Physician Competitive Event, including help connecting with a physician or medical student
What do you need to know for the AAFP Family Medicine Career Test?
HOSA's 50-item multiple choice written exam (plus a tie-breaker essay question!) will test your knowledge in a variety of areas. For a complete overview of test rules, visit HOSA's guidelines for this test. To study for your test, review the material included in this study guide and be prepared to:
- Define primary care medicine and the medical specialties involved (20%)
- Describe the scope of clinical practice of family medicine (20%)
- Describe the career settings of family medicine (14%)
- Describe the lifestyle of family physicians (14%)
- Describe the educational path to a career in family medicine (14%)
- Describe the importance of primary care, and its contributions to health outcomes (8%)
- Recognize some of the important innovations in health care and their impact on primary care (6%)
- Describe the AAFP's role in supporting the family medicine profession (4%)
What resources should you use to prepare for the exam?
The AAFP has compiled videos, articles, and tables for HOSA secondary and postsecondary/collegiate members studying to take the AAFP Family Medicine Career Test. These materials were used by HOSA to develop the exam, and they will help you learn about the role of family medicine in the health care system, how to become a family physician, and more!
What to Watch
What is Family Medicine?
Hear two family physicians who took different career paths and live in different parts of the country talk about what makes the specialty so special.
How 2020 Changed Family Medicine Forever
Who better to learn what a career in family medicine might look like for a pre-med student today than experts from Google, Apple, Stanford, and the AAFP. Listen to discover what trends are here to stay, and how they'll change things.
What to Read
Data
Articles and Readings
AAFP Advocacy Focus: Health Equity
AAFP Policy on Team-based Care
Article: My Vision for Family Medicine
Career Options in Family Medicine
Community: The Heart of Family Medicine
Family Doc Focus: Family Physician Profiles
Lifestyle and Income in Family Medicine
Responses to Medical Students’ Frequently Asked Questions About Family Medicine
Shared Principles of Primary Care: A Multistakeholder Initiative to Find a Common Voice
Strolling Through the Match, Section 1: Choosing a Medical Specialty
Supply of Primary Care Doctors Linked with Mortality Rates
FM Physician Competitive Event
The 2023 Family Medicine Physician Competitive Event sponsored by the AAFP is open.
We're excited to help you explore and succeed! This collection of videos, articles, facts, and other media about family medicine can help you prepare for your event.
Acing the competitive event hinges on your ability to weave together everything you learn about family medicine into a thorough and engaging presentation.
There are six learning objectives for this competitive event:
- Demand and occupational outlook
- Span of medical education and career options
- Work, lifestyle, and financial implications
- Importance of primary care and preventive medicine to achieve health equity
- The Why: the story of the family medicine interviewee
- Is family medicine right for me?
The resources below were selected with these learning objectives in mind. You can also complete this form to connect with a family physician or a medical student
Contact meetfamilymedicine@aafp.org with questions.
Self-study resources and media
Browse the videos, web pages, articles, and more below to help you explore and meet each learning objective in your presentation.
Videos and Social Media
Data
Articles and Readings
AAFP Advocacy Focus: Health Equity
AAFP Policy on Team-based Care
Article: My Vision for Family Medicine
Career Options in Family Medicine
Community: The Heart of Family Medicine
Family Doc Focus: Family Physician Profiles
Lifestyle and Income in Family Medicine
Responses to Medical Students’ Frequently Asked Questions About Family Medicine
Shared Principles of Primary Care: A Multistakeholder Initiative to Find a Common Voice
Strolling Through the Match, Section 1: Choosing a Medical Specialty
Supply of Primary Care Doctors Linked with Mortality Rates