The idea to start a new chapter of ACOFP dedicated to the armed service members of family medicine arose during the ACOFP 2023 Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida. Captain Prasiddha Ramachandran, DO, who is currently a PGY1 family medicine resident at Darnall Army Medical Center at Ft. Cavazos, Texas, remembers feeling humbled to partake in the conversation to establish the
Society of Military Family Medicine (Military-ACOFP) as a medical student and to be one of its founding members.
"Military-ACOFP is here to give military family physicians a sense of belonging in ACOFP, our bigger family,” Ramachandran said. “We are here to offer programs that are unique to military physicians. Come join your physician brothers and sisters in arms. This is where we belong; this is where we share stories of heroism and cherish the companionship of like-minded, unique individuals."
Ramachandran hopes that this new chapter will serve as a place to serve military medicine-specific needs and interests as well as create an opportunity for physicians in the field to connect. For medical students, she plans to use this chapter as a platform to educate them about the prospects of military family medicine and support students in the application process. For practicing physicians, she plans to organize inspiring lectures by current service members and veterans about their unique experiences as family medicine doctors in the armed services.
For Ramachandran, family medicine is all-encompassing medicine, but being a military family physician means expanding her skills to include trauma and emergency care in addition to mastering basic primary care skills. Military family medicine is not only about providing healthcare but also about the sacrifices of service that come with having to stay away from family during deployment to serve the nation and safeguard soldiers across borders.
As an active-duty member of the Army, Ramachandran reflects on her initial inspiration to pursue military medicine, stemming from a presentation on army medicine during her undergraduate studies. However, during her medical school rotation, she found a particularly influential mentor in Larry Anderson, DO, FACOFP
dist., former ACOFP president. Anderson's dedication to providing free healthcare to Ukrainian refugees and his guidance on the principles of osteopathic family medicine impacted Ramachandran, solidifying her association with ACOFP.
Ramachandran remains grateful for the opportunities ACOFP has provided her, particularly the invaluable networking and knowledge-sharing experiences with physicians nationwide. Her involvement in
Military-ACOFP is a testament to her dedication to fostering camaraderie and support within the military medical community, hoping to extend these opportunities to others embarking on similar paths.
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