In this episode of Fighting for Family Medicine, David Tully, vice president of Government Relations, talks with Drs. Aaron George and Andrea DeSantis about their experiences at the 2025 Family Medicine Advocacy Summit (FMAS). They discuss the importance of advocacy in family medicine, building relationships with lawmakers and their staff and the significance of personal stories in influencing policy. They also share advice on mentorship, career decisions and how to become active in advocacy.  

 

Registration is now open for the Academy's 2026 FMAS, June 14-16. Details here. 

 

Topics By Timestamp 

00:39 Meet the guests: Andrea DeSantis, DO, and Aaron George, DO. 

01:16 The Importance of advocacy in family medicine 

03:39 Experiences from the Family Medicine Advocacy Summit 

04:08 Returning home: impact and reflections 

07:50 Encouraging advocacy among family physicians 

10:59 Personal stories and their impact on advocacy 

15:13 Advice for new physicians 

17:46 The Advocacy Ambassador program 

19:21 Final thoughts and upcoming events 

 

Additional Resources  

AAFP Advocacy Ambassadors 

Register for the Family Medicine Advocacy Summit  

 

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