CU2RE student Anna Townsend and Joseph Coppiano, M.D., at the 2026 STFM ConferenceThe UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine made an impact at this year’s Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Conference on Medical Student Education. Faculty, residents, clinical and academic staff, and seven students from the department’s Comprehensive Urban Underserved and Rural Experience (CU2RE) program contributed to the national discussion on the future of family medicine.
The annual STFM conference brings together medical educators from across the country to share innovations, collaborate on best practices, and explore emerging challenges in medical student education. Attendees participate in general sessions, workshops, and hands-on development opportunities focused on strengthening the family medicine workforce and preparing students to become compassionate, skilled, and forward-thinking physicians. Topics ranged from competency-based education and preceptor development to strategies for bolstering interest in primary care.
For CU2RE student Anna Ulrey, presenting her poster, “Safe Words in Lifestyle Medicine,” highlighted how meaningful primary care research can be in shaping clinical practice.
Sameera Davuluri, M.D., lectures on reimagining medical education at STFM.“Working on this project has shown me how powerful research in primary care can be,” said Ulrey, a MS3 at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. “Primary care is where conversations about health actually happen and being able to study how our words shape patient trust and engagement has been incredibly meaningful. I’m excited to bring this work to STFM, learn from leaders in family medicine, and continue developing research that is grounded in real patient experiences.”
Ulrey was one of several students showcasing innovative work at this year’s conference.
CU2RE participant and third year medical student Shivani Reddy attended the conference to share a curriculum she developed. It explores how climate change influences infectious disease patterns in primary care settings. The curriculum—born out of Reddy’s recognition that students need stronger preparation in climate health intersections—earned her and sister Sidhvi, also a Heersink student, the 2024 MedInnovate Primary Care Creative Award for Curriculum. Along with a $10,000 per person stipend, the Reddys received mentorship and development support from Family and Community Medicine faculty and staff.
CU2RE student Shivani Reddy in front of her poster with mentor Joseph Coppiano, M.D.When she reflected on her experience designing the program, Reddy noted the value of student-driven innovation:
“This project showed me how much students can contribute when encouraged to identify gaps and build solutions. I loved collaborating with faculty across specialties and translating emerging climate health issues into real clinical scenarios,” she said. “I’m excited to attend the STFM conference to learn from educators doing this work well and to have meaningful conversations about how we can better prepare medical students for these evolving health challenges.”
Throughout the event, UAB faculty, trainees, and students showcased work in curriculum innovation, nutrition and lifestyle medicine, interprofessional care team collaboration, and more. Their contributions highlighted the department’s growing role as a leader in shaping the next generation of family physicians. They also reaffirmed Family and Community Medicine’s commitment to preparing students to address the most pressing issues facing primary care today.
Natalie Jewett, M.D., earned a blue ribbon for her poster, "Diabetes on Demand: Podcast Learning for Medical Students."Department of Family and Community Medicine Presentations and Contributions
Lectures
- Nutrition in Underserved Communities: Recipe Development for Chronic Disease - Caroline Cohen, Ph.D., RD, Kala Dixon, Ph.D., Joseph Coppiano, M.D., and CU2RE student Abigail Kiernan
- Reimagining Medical Education Curriculum: Family Medicine Clerkship for the Digital Generation - Sameera Davuluri, M.D., and Jon Ezell, Ph.D., MLIS
- A Practical Approach for Implementing Exercise Medicine into Medical Student Education - Joseph Coppiano, M.D., Caroline Cohen, Ph.D., RD, Kala Dixon, Ph.D., Taylor Taylor, Ph.D., Jon Ezell, Ph.D., MLIS, and CU2RE student Alysse Lalonde, MS
Posters
- Global Health Challenges: Climate Change and Infectious Disease Dynamics in Primary Care – CU2RE students Sidhvi Reddy and Shivani Reddy, Jon Ezell, Ph.D., MLIS, and Joseph Coppiano, M.D.
- Safe Words in Lifestyle Medicine - CU2RE students Anna Ulrey and Sara Pacer, Joseph Coppiano, M.D., and Caroline Cohen, Ph.D., RD
- Diabetes on Demand: Podcast Learning for Medical Students - Natalie Jewett, M.D.
- Immersion Experience in Rural Family Medicine Practices Increases Student Selection of Family Medicine as a Specialty Choice - Sameera Davuluri, M.D.; B. Earl Salser, M.D., and Cahaba-UAB resident Cristel Flores, M.D.
- Deploying a Pre-Recorded Video Interview to Assess Students Interest in Primary Care - Daniel Fijabi, M.D., and Stephanie West
- A Practical Approach for Introducing Trauma Informed Care Education to Medical Students – CU2RE student Anna Townsend, Joseph Coppiano, M.D., Daniel Fijabi, M.D., Kaylee Crockett, Ph.D., and Jon Ezell, Ph.D., MLIS
- Interactive Simulation in Obesity Education - Sameera Davuluri, M.D., and Kala Dixon, Ph.D.
Panel Discussions
- Inter-Professional Speed-Dating: Collaboration is Our Love Language - Kala Dixon, Ph.D., Elizabeth Davis, Ph.D., RD, Caroline Cohen, Ph.D., RD, Charity Laister, LCSW, Taylor Taylor, Ph.D., Jana Villanueva, PA-C, Lindsey Coppiano, PharmD, Haoyang Yan, Ph.D., and Joseph Coppiano, M.D.
- Future-Ready Faculty: Examples of AI Use in Educator Tasks - Sameera Davuluri, M.D.
Scholarly Roundtable Discussion
- Family Medicine Residents as Supervisors in Community Service: Impact on Medical Student Satisfaction in Underserved Care Set - Sumayah Abed, M.D.
Workshops
- Clinician, Teacher, Scholar: A Bootcamp for New Faculty in Academic Family Medicine - Sameera Davuluri, M.D.
- Sharing What Works: A Collaborative Gallery Walk on Advising FM Applicants - Sameera Davuluri, M.D.