My Member Story
Dr. Cheryl Canfield
Osteopathic Family Physician and Integrative Medicine Specialist
From quite a young age I knew I wanted to be in the medical profession. When I started college I was actually planning to get into nursing but the undergrad university that I attended had different tracks for nursing and medicine and when faced with that question, I opted for medicine. It’s a decision I’ve never regretted, just like my decision to join the Michigan Association of Osteopathic Family Physicians.
I first joined MAOFP because it was important to both me and my husband (also a physician) to be part of the osteopathic community in Michigan. I’ve been an active member for most of my career, nearly 30 years. As a husband-and-wife physician team a critical part of being a member for us has been getting together with like-minded colleagues and sharing our joys and trials throughout our practice lives. We were always grateful that so many MAOFP events welcomed us bringing our children to conferences which was very beneficial for our whole family.
We learned a long time ago that the more involved we became with MAOFP the more we stood to gain as well as create opportunities to positively impact others in the profession. We both feel that MAOFP and MOA are ways that we have a voice for osteopathic medicine and so we are proud to serve as delegates to the Michigan Osteopathic Association. Our level of involvement and like-minded interests connect us with other osteopathic physician throughout the state who have similar concerns and desires to protect and promote our profession.
Over the years I have tried to make a practice of looking for new ways to get involved in MAOFP. In fact, I’ve just recently joined the wellness committee. I know I just joined, but I’m sure I’m going to enjoy my involvement with this new opportunity because it reinforces what, to me, is the greatest value of being an MAOFP member, which is advocacy and community.
Being a part of a supportive community like MAOFP is a way that physicians can have a voice for our profession, a way to share what’s going on in our practice lives and an opportunity to support one another both in our practices and in our family lives.
SHARE YOUR STORY
MAOFP is looking for members to share their story to build better engagement, relationships and generate a larger interest for those not a part of the organization. We're asking our members to fill out a questionnaire, that we will then compile your answers into a MAOFP blog story. Those who submit will have the ability to read and approve their story prior to it being published.
My Member Story