HURRICANE, W.Va. (WVDN) — The West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians (WVAFP) is proud to announce that Erin McGowan of Harpers Ferry, a fourth year medical student at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM), has been selected as the next Student Trustee of the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation Board of Trustees. McGowan’s one-year term will begin October 1, 2027.
The national appointment places McGowan on the governing board of the philanthropic arm of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees is responsible for guiding the organization while balancing the interests of AAFP members, Foundation staff, donors, constituents, and the broader community. The Board includes a designated Student Trustee who brings the perspective of future physicians to the Foundation’s leadership and work.
“Erin’s selection is an exceptional accomplishment and a tremendous point of pride for Family Medicine across West Virginia,” said Dr. Matthew A. Davis, Board Chair and CEO of the WVAFP. “National leadership opportunities such as this recognize not only individual achievement, but also the perspective, energy, and commitment that our students bring to the future of Family Medicine. Erin has distinguished herself through service, scholarship, advocacy, and a genuine commitment to communities that too often struggle for access to care. We are excited to see her carry that experience and a West Virginia perspective to the AAFP Foundation.”
McGowan is pursuing her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at WVSOM and is expected to graduate in May 2027. She previously earned a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry with a minor in linguistics from West Virginia University. At WVSOM, she has been active in Family Medicine leadership and is a member of Sigma Sigma Phi, the osteopathic honor and service organization.
Her leadership includes serving as president of the WVSOM chapter of the Student Association of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. In that role, McGowan has helped lead student engagement, volunteer activities, and community outreach while serving as a liaison among students, faculty, and national Family Medicine leaders. She also helped establish WVSOM’s presence at the Healing Appalachia Festival, coordinating student involvement to raise awareness of substance use disorders and support the Appalachian communities affected by them.
McGowan has also represented the WVAFP nationally as a Student Delegate to the AAFP FUTURE conference, further expanding her involvement in organized Family Medicine and her advocacy for the perspectives of medical students.
Her commitment to service and underserved communities extends beyond organized medicine. McGowan has participated in research focused on preventive care in a rural West Virginia clinical setting and has contributed to scholarly work examining health and food access in rural Appalachia. Her previous experience also includes public health work, STEM outreach across West Virginia, service to medically vulnerable children, and volunteer work with patients and families at WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.
“Family Medicine is rooted in relationships, service, and community, and those values are what continue to draw me to the specialty,” McGowan said. “I am incredibly grateful for the mentors, physicians, classmates, and organizations in West Virginia who have encouraged me to become involved, speak up, and lead. It is an honor to be selected for this role, and I look forward to bringing the experiences and perspectives that have shaped me in West Virginia to the AAFP Foundation while helping strengthen opportunities for the next generation of Family Physicians.”
