What is TAFP?

The Texas Academy of Family Physicians is the state’s largest medical specialty organization, with more than 9,000 member physicians, residents, and medical students throughout 33 local chapters. TAFP serves the family medicine community and provides a unified voice for family medicine as it continues to be one of the most patient-oriented public health groups in Texas. The American Academy of Family Physicians, TAFP’s parent organization, maintains a membership of more than 100,000 members in 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam.

TAFP is governed by a board of directors. The board establishes and reviews Academy policy and plans during the TAFP Interim Session, TAFP Annual Session, and at other times throughout the year. Members also serve on TAFP committees and councils where they study, analyze, and make informed policy recommendations to the board.

The Academy wishes to equip family physicians with beneficial tools for the continual improvement of the specialty. To do this, TAFP promotes the constant education of members to assist them with meeting the required 150 credits of approved continuing education every three years to retain membership. This requirement may be met through continuing education programs, publication or presentation of original scientific papers, medical school or postgraduate teaching, residency training, and more. TAFP offers three in-person CME symposia throughout the year: Annual Session and Primary Care Summit, C. Frank Webber Lectureship, and the Texas Family Medicine Symposium, and one virtual symposium called TAFP Pulse.

The Texas Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, organized in 1960, supports educational and scientific initiatives of family medicine to improve the health of all Texans. Through the generous contributions of members, corporations and friends, the Foundation is able to raise and distribute funds for medical student scholarships to future family physicians, for research, for family medicine student interest group activities at medical schools in Texas, and for family medicine resident activities.

TAFP was founded on March 16, 1948, as the Texas Academy of General Practitioners, making it the fifth chartered state chapter of the AAGP. J. B. Copeland, MD, served as the first TAGP president. Once the American Academy of General Practitioners changed its name to the American Academy of Family Physicians, Texas soon followed suit.