2021-22 VAFP Resident Directors Michaela Varys, MD (St. Francis Family Medicine Residency) and Camilla Maybee, MD (Inova Fairfax Family Medicine Residency) present the next VAFP Residency SpotLights. Each month, the VAFP will feature unique happenings from the Family Medicine Residency Programs across the Commonwealth. The VAFP hopes these SpotLights will encourage residents to learn from each other and show our student members how amazing it is to be a Family Medicine Resident in Virginia!
Editors
Michaela Varys, MD – PGY-2, St. Francis Family Medicine Residency
Camilla Maybee, MD – PGY-2, Inova Fairfax Family Medicine Residency
Co-Editor
Mary Lindsay White, VAFP EVP
On January 27th, Family medicine physicians from all over Virginia came together at the beautiful Wintergreen Resort. This was a great opportunity to meet like minded individuals and share our experiences and knowledge in a wonderful setting. There were exhibits, breakout sessions, and numerous presentations all aimed at making us better physicians. There was a wide range of topics from COVID updates and the long lasting symptoms of COVID to common orthopedic conditions and the best test for diagnosing them. It was a weekend filled with a good mix of learning and outdoor activities.
I specifically enjoyed interacting with interns from other residency programs. It’s interesting to learn how other programs are organizing their rotations and going about the daily activities. We had time to really get to know each other and learn about our different interests and how they are handling being a first year resident! We were housed together which allowed for us to bond over meals and enjoy our down time. I also thought this was a great time to gain information from the senior residents. They have been in our shoes and know what its like to be an intern. It was great learning their tips and tricks for surviving first year and different ways to get through the tougher rotations.
The exhibits were also a great learning opportunity. There were many different companies present with information about their products and how we could implement them in our clinics. They gave us information on how to get certain medications and devices covered by insurance, how to explain the use of them in terms that our patients would understand, and different options that they have for common ailments.
Overall, the VAFP conference in Wintergreen was a wonderful experience, especially for interns! It was a great time to learn from physicians who have been in this longer than we have and gain advice from senior residents on how to advance. I am looking forward to attending the next conference in August in Roanoke!
Attending the VAFP conference at Wintergreen Resort was a refreshing experience. There were ample opportunities to learn, network, and mingle with residents & faculty from different programs as well as medical students. I attended many lectures however the one that stuck out the most was by Dr. Greenawald who addressed physician burnout. It was a much needed reminder of how important it is to take care of ourselves along with our patients. As providers, we always put our patients first but forget that we can’t take care of others without taking care of ourselves as well. I’m looking forward to the next VAFP conference in Roanoke this summer with more new and exciting opportunities!