American Academy of Family Physicians

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) was founded in 1947 to promote the science and art of family medicine. It is one of the largest medical organizations in the world with more than 94,000 members. The Academy was instrumental in establishing family medicine as a recognized medical specialty; a certifying board was approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties in 1969. The Academy's headquarters is in Leawood, Kansas.

The AAFP awards the degree of Fellow (FAAFP) to recognize members who have distinguished themselves among their colleagues, as well as in their communities, by their service to family medicine. A fellow must be a member for at least six years (including membership as a resident) and meet a minimum accepted amount of continuing education and community service.

AAFP News Now (ANN), launched in April 2005, is the official news publication of the American Academy of Family Physicians. It is primarily an online publication, with news stories posted continually. Each week, AAFP members who have e-mail addresses on file with the Academy receive an e-mail message with links to top ANN online stories. At month's end, a printed ANN containing selected content from ANN online is mailed to all members.

The AAFP made news in 2005 when it refused to rent exhibition space to an organization called No Free Lunch. The group advocates against drug company marketing to physicians and urges healthcare professionals not to accept gifts from pharmaceutical companies because it says doing so creates a conflict of interest. A spokesperson for the academy argued that the dialog between physicians and exhibitors is "important and healthy" and that No Free Lunch seeks to eliminate that dialog, so the group is not in line with the AAFP's goals. Less than a week after the initial announcement, the academy reversed its decision and allowed No Free Lunch to rent a booth, citing discussion within the group and comments from members.

Publications

 * American Family Physician - a clinical medical journal
 * Annals of Family Medicine - a collaborative effort with six family medicine organizations
 * Family Practice Management - on practice management and socioeconomic issues