Spectrum of Physician Advocacy Student Group
Recognizing that the health of our patients is often tied intimately to social, economic, and other non-biomedical circumstances, and that our positions as medical students and future physicians affords us the opportunity in many cases to influence these circumstances through advocacy, the goal of the Spectrum of Physician Advocacy Interest Group is to train medical students in the theory and practice of advocating for the health of our patients and for the well-being of the community that we serve.
The Spectrum of Physician Advocacy was created several years ago by four fourth-year students and will be co-taught this year by six second-year medical students. Through the interactive sessions, we hope to introduce you to the various responsibilities and opportunities of physicians to advocate for individual patients and to take active roles in greater healthcare debates. During the course, you will be exposed to a broad range of routine and systemic advocacy topics including medical-legal collaboration, community-oriented health care, translating patient care experience into good health policy, and global health equity. By the end of the two months, we hope that you will:
1) have a better understanding of current topics in health care improvement.
2) understand the unique capital that physicians can contribute to these discussions.
3) have developed a foundation of basic advocacy tools and,
4) have made connections with other students and faculty who will provide support and encouragement as you pursue your career as a physician advocate.