December 27, 2018
By Janet Garcia, RN, BSN
As we get ready to welcome a new year, we pause to reflect on the positive impact our work has had in the lives of young medical professionals. This week, we highlight some of this impact by sharing how FACTS enriched the lives of medical students and residents in 2018.
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Chris Galletti is a fourth-year medical student at Florida State University College of Medicine who first became involved with FACTS in 2016. This summer, he enrolled in the FACTS student elective, Fertility Awareness Based Methods (FABMs) for Women’s Health and Family Planning. Thanks to funding available from our generous benefactors, Chris was able to enroll in the course at a reduced cost. During this elective, Chris studied the basic principles of FABMs, their effectiveness for family planning, and the science supporting their medical applications. He was also able to observe trained FABM educators and physicians, who use these methods in practice. Chris reflects on the experience,
“FACTS has given me numerous connections and a solid framework to begin having patient education discussions during my rotations. In the future, I will incorporate FABMs in my practice, and I hope to become a certified instructor in one or more of the methods. I hope to encourage my residency program to train my co-residents about FABMs.”
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Brianna Wynne, MD is a second-year family medicine resident at Community Memorial Hospital/Medical College of Wisconsin. Through involvement with FACTS, she was able to attend a Family Medicine Education Consortium (FMEC) conference, receive instructor training in the SymptoPro method of family planning, and work on a research project that resulted in a presentation at a regional meeting. Dr. Wynne summarizes her involvement with FACTS,
“I am a big proponent of preventive medicine and partnering with patients to promote health and wellness. I desired to learn about the evidence-based FABMs because this subject is very poorly taught and understood in most higher level academic institutions, including my medical school. I eventually became a Student Ambassador with FACTS to spread the knowledge about modern FABMs and their efficacy.”
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Benjamin Burnham is a third-year medical student at Ohio Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. Benjamin got involved with FACTS because of the lack of information in medical school curricula about fertility awareness. He and his peers raised funds to bring a FACTS trained speaker to their campus to educate their classmates.
“I wanted to help bring a speaker to my school to educate my classmates. As someone being trained in osteopathic medicine, we learn a lot about the body’s ability to self-regulate and heal, and our purpose in medicine to assist the body in its natural abilities. I believe that in most fields of medicine with osteopathic physicians, that philosophy is carried through, except when it comes to women’s health. Instead of trying to work with the body, most women are given artificial contraceptives that work against the woman’s natural reproductive cycle.”
Benjamin was able to attend the FMEC conference thanks to the generous financial gifts of our benefactors. He plans to specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
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Patricia O. Okolie is a fourth-year student at Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine and plans to specialize in family medicine. Like Chris, Patricia recently completed our elective course. She attended the FACTS Annual Meeting through funding received from our donors. Patricia recently signed on as a FACTS Student Ambassador and is assisting with one of our research projects as well! She explains,
“The online elective provided a unique learning experience and gave me a better understanding of FABMs. Most important, I now have information and access to healthcare professionals to share with patients who are seeking family planning methods.”
Without the generosity of our benefactors, these four medical professionals may not have learned about evidence-based FABMs. As we reflect on our work at FACTS this holiday season, it is inspiring to consider how the kindness of our donors affects not only these young medical professionals, but also the thousands of patients they may care for throughout their careers!
From all of us at FACTS, on behalf of our students, thank you!
Make an end of year gift to FACTS today to support our students!
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Author Bio: Janet Garcia, RN, BSN is a registered nurse who has had the privilege of caring for patients throughout the life span, both in the NICU and in adult hospice settings. Having experienced the benefits of fertility awareness in her life and health, she now has a passion for promoting the science and benefits of fertility awareness to all. After serving FACTS as a volunteer on various projects, Janet recently joined the team as our new Student Program Coordinator. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their three young children.
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FACTS 2019 SPRING CONFERENCES
Modern Fertility Awareness for Family Planning & Women’s Health
In response to the growing interest in FABMs, the FACTS team is coordinating three one-day conferences in 2019. Join us in Cleveland, Indianapolis or Dallas to learn about timely issues in women’s reproductive health!
February 23, 2019
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Cleveland, OH
April 5, 2019
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Indianapolis, IN
We will also be in Dallas in the fall, so be sure to share this information with friends and colleagues interested in learning more FACTS about fertility!
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Thank YOU from the FACTS Team!
Would you like to know your support of FACTS enabled a medical student to learn how FABMs can help address common reproductive health concerns? Would you be glad to know your gift helped a woman find a physician trained in her FABM of choice? Consider a monthly contribution or year-end gift to FACTS to help us reach our goals for 2019! Your support also helps ensure future medical professionals are able to learn the latest evidence about FABMs and their applications for women’s health.
Without your faithful support, we would not be able to spread the word about FABMs effectively to fulfill our mission. Your ongoing generosity enables us to
- plan and provide state-of-the-art conferences,
- create, update, and present webinars,
- train more speakers so every city and state learns the FACTS,
- provide live presentations and grow our network,
- prepare enduring materials,
- and so much more!
Thank you for your continued encouragement, support, and generosity!