I don't know that I've ever had an audience of strangers before, so I'd like to welcome any new readers and apologize in advance for the experience some of you are about to have. This blog started as the slipshod, slapdash result of my attempt to keep in touch with friends and family (a handful of whom frown upon activities like "not living in a major metropolitan area" or "primary care" or both) while I was living far from a major metropolitan area and exploring an interest in rural primary care this past summer. I've been meaning to add a few more posts about my experience in Quincy to this blog and will try to do so as time permits.
Undoubtedly, many of you will be first-year students looking for info about whether or not you should apply to the IAFP Summer Externship program. The answer you are seeking is: yes. I'd actually argue that the answer is "definitely yes," especially if you are just curious about family med and are not certain about what kind of medicine you'd like to practice. Who knows - you might actually end up becoming an orthopedic surgeon who sub-specializes in treating rare anomalies of the left hamate, but the IAFP externship will give you a robust clinical experience on which to make a better-informed decision. At the very least, even if you don't end up going into family practice, you'll probably collaborate with a family practitioner in the care of a patient at some point, and it would behoove you to have some familiarity and appreciation for their neck of the medical woods. If you have any questions, I'm happy to share more of my thoughts about the program.
Finally, I feel like I need to include a disclaimer that I am in no way speaking on behalf of the IAFP or any organization whose name is a combination or permutation of the words Quincy, family, medicine, or practice. Also, if you don't have a sense of humor, I suggest you immediately direct your web browser to an un-funny website like CNN or UK Parliament.
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