This We Believe

Purpose
Modeled on the successful “This I Believe” project, as heard on National Public Radio, the FMEC offers physicians, physicians-in-training, and medical students engaged in family medicine the opportunity to express their core beliefs about serving others. We believe that sharing our passion for being healers will not only strengthen our ability to serve others, but also will connect us to one another and strengthen our mission in family medicine. We invite students, residents, faculty, and practitioners to submit statements of their beliefs. Award winners will be invited to share their statement from the podium during the FMEC Annual Meeting.

Eligibility
We seek expressions of the core attitudes and beliefs—the personal philosophies—about caring for others. Authors should write up to a few hundred words expressing the core principles that guide your approach to caring for others. Feel free to use any format that helps you to convey your beliefs: a story, an anecdotal experience, or you may use discursive writing. We seek that personal, inner vision that drives your passion to serve, to teach, and to be with those who need your service.

We know that those engaged in family medicine have a broad range of interests; from full-scope family medicine, to international health, to care of seniors, adolescents, children, maternity care and women’s health, end of life and palliative care, care of underserved, rural and inner city populations, research, education, practice improvement and healthcare leadership, to name just a few areas of special interest. 

Submission Process

  • Submissions are welcome from family physicians, residents, medical students, or representatives of organizations who are FMEC members in the northeast region of the US ((Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and the District of  Columbia (D.C.)).
  • Submissions should be 600 words or less.
  • The submissions will be reviewed by a review committee that is made up of FMEC members and previous award winners.
  • While submissions remain the property of the author, a submitter grants the FMEC unrestricted use of the material.

The award winner will be recognized at the FMEC annual meeting and asked to read their submission from the podium.
Questions? Contact [email protected]

Past Award Winners 

2023 - Sonya Levine, OMS-IV, Lewis Wong, MD, Stacey Nickoloff, DO
2022 -
Briana Krewson, MPH, MSIV, Taylor J. Rider, MSIV, Victoria Ngo, MSIII
2021 - 
Hugh Silk, MD, MPH, FAAFP, John Romano, MSIV and Mary Rose Puthiyamadam, MD
2020 - Miguel Rodriguez, MPH, MSIV, Sarah Baden, MD, Maya Prabu, MSIV
2019 - Catherine Florio Pipas, MD, MPH, Lillian White, MSIV, Shelby Reimer, MD
2018 - Allen Shaughnessy, PharmD, MedEd, Wayne A. Forde, MD, Jessica Faraci, MD
2017 - Christina Johnson, MD, PhD, Anthony Pastore, MSIV, Nixi Chesnavich, MSIV   /   Honorable Mention:  Joshua Steinberg, MD
2016 - Sarah Baden, MD, Winfred Frazier, MD, Anna Chon, MD 
2015 - Sarah Baden, Maureen Litchman, MD, Joanne Dannenhoffer, MD 
2014 - Nellie Wirsing, MD, Derek Woessner, MD, Jennifer Middleton, MD, MPH 
2013 - Katherine Neely, MD, Emueje Ophori, MD , Matthew Loftus, MD 
2012 - Laura Sturgill, MS4, Shawnet K. Jones , Bronwyn L. Sing, DO 
2011 - Bob Motley, MD, Emily Looney, MS4, Peter Elias, MD 
2010 - Jason Shen, MS4, Carla Jardim, MD , Bethany Picker, MD 
2009 - Colleen T. Fogarty, MD, MSc, Karen E. Perkins, MD, Andrea Gordon, MD, Kandie S. Tate, MD, MEd 
2008 - Sallie Rixey, MD, MEd , Allison Hargreaves,MD , Paul Gross, MD 
2007 - Colin Kopes-Kerr, MD, MD, MPH, Lyle G. Bohlman, MD, Kevin Ferentz, MD