STFM Policy Statement Against Discrimination
STFM opposes all discrimination in any form, including but not limited to, that on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic affiliation, health, age, disability, economic status, body habitus or national origin.
STFM Health Equity Definition
Conditions that allow everyone the opportunity to attain their highest level of health
STFM Health Equity Strategic Goals and Priorities
Guided by a 5-year strategic plan, STFM members and staff are driving the health equity of communities through medical education. Read the STFM health equity goals and objectives.
STFM Underrepresented in Medicine (URM) Initiative
The STFM Underrepresented in Medicine (URM) Initiative, supported by the STFM Foundation, is working to:
- Increase the percentage of URM family medicine faculty, and
- Increase the number of solutions-focused, adaptable URM leaders within and across our healthcare system
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) definition of underrepresented in medicine is:
"Underrepresented in medicine means those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population."1
A diverse workforce of family medicine physicians and faculty is required to support the future of health care and the needs of a diverse patient population. URM faculty members collectively make up only 9.4% of academic medicine while representing almost 33% of the national population.2,3 In recognition of this, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) has committed to developing strategies and providing resources to increase the number of underrepresented in medicine (URM) family medicine educators.
Oversight Committee
An interprofessional URM Oversight Committee, chaired by Edgar Figueroa, MD, MPH, has convened to guide the progress of the Underrepresented in Medicine Initiative work. Four Work Groups are leading the development of strategies and measures for their Focus Area, while the entire Oversight Committee is monitoring the progress of the work and communicating with STFM members and the STFM Foundation about the work being done.
Donate to the STFM Foundation URM CampaignURM Initiative Areas of Focus
- AAMC. The status of the new AAMC definition of "underrepresented in medicine" following the Supreme Court's decision in Grutter. 2004; https://services.aamc.org/AMCAS2_2010/WebApp/Help/WebHelp/Disadvantaged_Status.htm. Accessed January 31, 2014.
- Census.gov. Quick Facts United States. 2018; https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US. Accessed September 4, 2019.
- Diversity of the Physician Workforce: Facts and Figures 2018. 2018; http://aamcdiversityfactsandfigures.org/. Accessed March 26, 2020.
