Family medicine graduate education has changed significantly over the past 5 years. From rapid, overlapping changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, evolving ACGME and ABFM requirements, and new technologies such as AI, it has felt like every one of these years has been unprecedented. Throughout all these changes, program directors and their leadership teams have been responsible for navigating the ship in their home institutions and trying to move forward. These challenges have impacted seasoned and new Program Directors alike as we have had to come up with answers, continue to lead, and be a stable force for both faculty and learners. As program directors expressed the need for support in how to manage changes, the AFMRD Board of Directors decided to pilot an opportunity offering a new space of connection and education. We knew we wanted to address an educational need for most programs, but we also knew it was imperative to provide a space for community right now. Currently, there are no opportunities that support only program directors and associate program directors. With this in mind, the Board decided in September 2025 to pilot a new pre-conference at the 2026 AAFP Residency Leadership Symposium (RLS).
In complex systems like residency education, peer connection functions as an infrastructure for shared problem-solving and adaptive leadership. Leadership literature emphasizes that effective leaders rely on proactive attitudes, adaptive mindsets, peer support, and self-growth.1 We also know that community enrichment and the ability to evolve are important to the success of developing rural family medicine programs,2 which could be translated to the success of all residency programs. As such, the goals of the pre-conference were to allow for community, peer learning, shared space to promote innovation, and potentially even a positive impact on residency leadership well-being.
This preconference was a gift to our members. This pilot initiative was intentionally designed to provide logistical expertise, knowledge, and community to our members. We envisioned a successful pilot would be to attract 30 participants. AFMRD sent out a poll, providing an opportunity for members to vote on the topic. The clear request from members was to focus on the requirement for procedural attestations, now coming June 2027. The membership response far exceeded expectations. We quickly went from a hope for 30 participants and a maximum of 50 to an expansion of programming that was limited only by the room capacity. The final number of participants was 170.
This preconference, “WTH (Want Teaching Help) for Procedures,” became an opportunity for residency program leaders to collaborate and learn all in the same space. Program leaders shared bright spots from their institutions to the entire group and then small groups discussed their challenges and strategized with each other in areas related to the large group session. Not only did learning and strategizing happen, but there were also new connections and a renewed sense of agency and strategy on how to move forward with the new procedure attestation requirement. Participants walked out with an opportunity to have a new small group of PDs and APDs they could continue to work with as challenges arise. Participants reported high perceived value: among 76 respondents 93% found the table discussions useful, 93% the resources useful, and 92% would attend a similar workshop in the future. For those who could not attend, resources were placed in AFMRD’s PD toolbox to ensure all members had access to these tools for success.
We believe that the space created by the pre-conference is something our members need and is something that we hope to continue. AFMRD is the organization that lives and breathes the needs of residency program leaders, and the success of the pre-conference demonstrates the impact of program directors creating community for other program directors. Although the topic will not always be procedures, we will ensure it is meaningful to our community in the moment. It might be point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), professionalism, community advisory boards, or managing new requirements we cannot yet predict. Community and collaboration make us stronger, especially where everyone in the room is in this unique role. AFMRD created an intentional space for the leadership community to strengthen individual programs and the resilience of our educational system as a whole. We will continue to foster this community and collaboration.
- © 2026 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.
