Today
On June 5 and 6, over 180 NCAFP members gathered in person and online to learn actionable Family Medicine CME during the 2026 Summer Symposium in Charlotte, NC. They earned up to 39.25 CME credit hours while also enjoying both the practical insights from the teaching and the full camaraderie of learning among their peers.
“It was such a pleasure to host all the attendees who joined us for a day of meaningful connection and timely, high-value CME,” said NCAFP Director of CME & Events Kathryn Atkinson, CMP. “It was an exceptional program, and I am so grateful to Program Chair Dr. Garett Franklin and the many expert guest faculty who made it all possible!”
“We’re excited for you to have this full lineup of great CME today,” Dr. Franklin told attendees. “Your patients are already concerned with many of these things, which makes learning them that much more important.”
The Symposium combined the Friday preconference KSA on care of older adults with the Saturday sessions which spanned hypertension, health anxiety, menopause, and other topics, led by Dr. Franklin.
During each session, our expert guest faculty presented in-depth educational content while also engaging attendees through polling and interactive audience response tools. This format encouraged participants to apply the material to realistic clinical scenarios, creating a more dynamic learning experience than traditional lecture-based education alone. “The lectures reinforced my current practices and provided valuable information for updates to care that are easily implemented,” said one attendee.
Thanks to the virtual attendance platform, the 2026 Summer Symposium increased the overall number of attendees from previous years’ events. Building the capability to teach both in-person and virtual attendees without a hitch helps the NCAFP form an educational network for family physicians across the state.
“We were happy to produce a convenient hybrid option for those who preferred to attend virtually, which helped us bring relevant, practice-focused education to NCAFP members wherever they are,” Kathryn said.
“The hybrid format helps me attend more NCAFP events than I'd otherwise be able to,” said one attendee in a post-event survey.
“The NCAFP offers very high-quality virtual learning experience,” said one attendee. “This is a great way to do CME, especially on a weekend.”
Their camaraderie at the Marriott SouthPark Hotel in Charlotte included the Welcome Reception and Networking Social on Friday night. That’s where family physicians reconnected with the physicians who had once been their attendings during residency, and where medical students completing their NCAFP summer externship in nearby Concord met with residency leaders and other family physicians.
“It’s always a great time to get together and learn,” NCAFP President Dr. Benjamin “Frankie” Simmons said. “It’s great to see so many people I went to residency with.”
“It’s only my second time at one of these NCAFP summer events,” said Dr. Sanjay Patel. “But my first one was 14 years ago! It’s a great conference, and it’s great to be back.”
Aside from the socializing among their friends and peers, the event’s attendees came for the keen clinical insights of the CME. The lessons prepared them for day-to-day patient care. “It’s great,” said Dr. Shawn Hamm. “Dr. White and the other faculty are so good at this, since they’re all really smart folks.”
Another attendee echoed Dr. Hamm in the post-event survey: “All the speakers were passionate and energetic about each of their specific topics! I learned a lot.”
This education and connection made for a successful event at the 2026 Summer Symposium. Thank you to everyone who joined us! Thank you to Program Chair Dr. Garett Franklin, to our fantastic guest faculty, and to Pfizer for sponsoring the Symposium’s complimentary “Situation Room” lunch session.
In the meantime, you can review all the event images from the 2026 NCAFP Summer Symposium!
The North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, Inc. (NCAFP) is a nonprofit professional association headquartered in Raleigh which represents over 4,300 family physicians, Family Medicine residents, and medical students across the state. It is the largest medical specialty association in North Carolina and is a constituent chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians, based in Leadwood, KS.
