National Conference of Constituency Leaders
The National Conference of Constituency Leaders (NCCL) is the AAFP’s leadership development event that empowers a select group of change makers to catalyze positive change in family medicine. NCCL will inspire you to build on your leadership skills and create a lasting impact for current and future generations of family physicians. NCCL offers leadership and policy development opportunities for:
- Women
- BIPOC
- New physicians (in the first seven years of practice following residency)
- International medical graduates (IMG), from schools outside the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico
- LGBTQ+ physicians/physician allies
Michigan delegates—one per constituency—are appointed by the MAFP Board of Directors. They exchange information and share experiences with their colleagues from across the country, while developing leadership skills, helping to establish or update Academy policy, and electing national leaders. Chapter delegates are eligible to serve on and testify in reference committees, vote on resolutions, and vote in elections.
Delegates are reimbursed for eligible expenses according to the MAFP reimbursement policy.
MAFP 2024 Delegates
(Pictured above, left to right)
- Woman Woman Physician Delegate: Victoria Dooley, MD, FAAFP (Northville)
"The most valuable part of the conference to me, in addition to creating a resolution that passed to advance knowledge and education about heart disease risks in Black women, was meeting other family medicine physicians who were committed to advocacy. Since I am a solo practitioner, I do not have many other interactions with family physicians. It felt good to be surrounded by the warmth, intelligence and ambition of many of my colleagues and is something that I do miss."
- Minority Delegate: Frank Animikwam, MD (Petoskey)
"I know I speak for my cohort by saying we left feeling inspired and energized by our experience at NCCL 2024 and the resolution processes. These processes do work and are translatable to our state chapters and potentially to our individual organizations. Through working with our Minority constituency and our Michigan Delegation we were able to advocate for more inclusive healthcare for our underserved and marginalized communities. Through this advocacy and with this inclusion this will lead to representation of all of our people in our field on both the service and patient ends. Representation matters. Representation will help in leadership, in research, and in practice."
- New Physician Delegate: Aisha Harris, MD (Flint)
"NCCL is a great way to be involved in health policy work and shape the way patients receive and experience the health system as well as how family doctors work."
- IMG Delegate: Tahera Azharuddin, MD, FAAFP (Troy)
"As a first-time attendee, I got involved with my International Medical Graduate Constituency, participated in the co-convener election, gained insight into how to submit resolutions, and co-authored 5 resolutions with the successful adoption of some of these resolutions. I was also selected to serve on the Practice Enhancement Reference Committee and contributed to decision-making for the submitted resolutions by fellow attendees, learning how to get involved in advocacy that focuses on the improvement of patient care, health equity, and fostering inclusion and diversity in family medicine. It was a rewarding learning experience, especially getting to see our voices being heard by MAFP & AAFP as advocacy and governing organizations of family medicine. I would encourage Michigan family physicians to attend NCCL to learn and grow in a big family of family physicians from our country and get back to what we love to do for our patients in our communities."
- LGBTQ+ Physician/Physician Ally Delegate: Kari Beth Watts, DO (Kalamazoo)
"Attending NCCL as the MAFP Chapter Delegate to the LGBTQ+ constituency was an incredible experience. As a queer female physician who is young in her practice, I identified strongly with multiple constituencies. I pursued the opportunity to attend NCCL with the goal of connecting with other family physicians and learning more about how I can better advocate for the people I serve: students, residents, colleagues, patients and community members. I met this goal and so much more..I returned from NCCL fully energized with a new skill set and plans to return in 2025!"
Call for Resolution Ideas
Do you have a proposed solution to a concern, a suggestion for a new AAFP initiative, or a requested AAFP policy that one or more of the delegates listed above can formulate into a formal resolution for proposal at the 2025 National Conference of Constituency Delegates? Email [email protected].
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