Aaron J. Michelfelder, MD, Assumes Presidency of Society of Teachers and Family Medicine

MAYWOOD, IL—Aaron J. Michelfelder, MD, interim director of primary care and chair of family medicine for Loyola Medicine and professor at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, is the new president of the Society of Teachers and Family Medicine (STFM).

Dr. Michelfelder assumed the STFM presidency following the organization's annual Spring Conference, ending May 7, 2021. The Society of Teachers and Family Medicine is “a national community of academic leaders committed to developing an accomplished family medicine workforce, prepared to serve as the foundation of America’s health care system.”

“It is such a humbling and tremendous honor to serve as president of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the premier, world-class organization for family medicine education,” said Dr. Michelfelder.”

Dr. Michelfelder said his goals for the organization during his tenure include “increasing the numbers of diverse, creative, innovative people choosing family medicine as a career.” He also hopes to “identify and address the issues of the educational and health systems that are leading to burnout, while helping build the resiliency skills that everyone in family medicine needs to lead long, happy and fulfilling careers and lives."

Dr. Michelfelder received a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a medical degree from the Stritch School of Medicine. He completed his family medicine residency at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. He joined Loyola University Medical Center and the Stritch School of Medicine as a faculty member in 2000. He later completed a fellowship in medical acupuncture and advanced training in medical hypnosis.

In addition to serving as Loyola’s chair of family medicine, Dr. Michelfelder is the co-director for Loyola’s Institute for Transformative Interprofessional Education, and is a professor of family medicine, bioethics & healthy policy, and medical education at Stritch. His clinical practice includes general family medicine along with integrative medicine. His research interests are in practice transformation and the process of traveling from interprofessional education to collaborative practice. He is also interested in global health and has participated in 25 international medical and educational trips to 10 countries.