UAFP is excited to announce the addition of two new awards established to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of Utah medical students bound for a career in family medicine and one of our graduating third-year family medicine residents.

For several years, UAFP has been recognizing an outstanding graduating medical student from the University of Utah who has matched into family medicine with the F. Marian Bishop Award. This year the F. Marian Bishop Award was awarded to Michael Bishop, who will be starting his residency with Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency in Provo, Utah. We were thrilled to be able to recognize another outstanding senior matching into family medicine from the first graduating class from Rocky Vista University – Southern Utah. This award was given to Stella Chan, who has matched at Shasta Community Health Center Family Medicine Residency in Redding, California. Both of these outstanding future family medicine physicians have shown evidence of active student leadership in family medicine activities and demonstrated evidence of superior scholastic achievement in their medical school studies, particularly in the field of family medicine. Congratulations to both Michael and Stella!

UAFP also established a Resident Leadership Award this year to recognize the accomplishments of one of our third-year family medicine residents in Utah. Nominations were sent in by residency faculty, peers and other residency staff. Those nominated needed to demonstrate promotion of family medicine, leadership skills and serving as a role model to peers. Additional consideration was given for teaching skills, professionalism, research skills and community service. The UAFP Member Engagement Committee voted on the final winner and chose Sara Walker, MD. One of her nominations read, “In her role as chief, Dr. Walker is seen as someone whose residents can reach out to for calm, caring, and effective support. She has solved problems that we didn’t know existed, for example, creating an Orientation Guide for incoming interns to streamline our orientation process. As a physician, she is warm and caring, well-loved by her patients and her clinical team.” Congratulations, Dr. Walker!