“Although, we are celebrating your… role as physicians, I would like to confer a few additional titles on you. Public health advocate, health communicator and data translator. These titles are non-transferable and will not expire for the lifetime of your career. I confer them on you along with a few asks that come with the responsibility of these roles. I ask that you be curious, respectful and humble. I ask that as you correct misinformation, you also lean into the discomfort of being wrong yourself at times, because demonstrating how one listens, learns and grows is part of communicating good science. I ask that you recognize when you must be the one to speak and when it is time to lift up the voices of others. Be uncompromising when it comes to advocating for the health of the population, particularly its most vulnerable, but be flexible when it comes to meeting the needs of people where they are.”
--Dr. Esther Choo, Virtual National Medical School Graduation, 2020

Misson

"Action by a physician to promote those social, economic, educational, and political changes that ameliorate the suffering and threats to human health and well-being that he or she identifies through his or her professional work and expertise."
– from the American Medical Association

This resident educational advocacy curriculum aims to:

1. improve understanding of the structure of state and federal legislative process and the opportunities within that process to ameliorate disparities in access high-quality, comprehensive healthcare;
2. develop a framework for considering basis of advocacy need within sexual and reproductive health and consider how to prioritize personal interest in those areas;
3. provide a skillset that will empower ob/gyn physicians to leverage their medical degree and profession in medicine to advocate for patients in the clinical, research, public health, and social justice spheres.

We broadly define advocacy education as learning through study and experiences a skill set that enables a physician to incorporate advocacy in his or her daily practice of medicine. There may be a diversity of settings, opportunities, and participants for whom a physician may advocate, including individual patients, families, communities, or systems.

In participation in this program, residents will learn the core knowledge, skills, and values that contribute to successful advocacy. Specifically, this curriculum allows residents to develop skills in writing op-eds, engaging in social media and public relations, participate in state or national legislative lobby days, and in group activities with peers in the program. The curriculum culminates in a capstone project focused on the individual resident’s interests within advocacy. Some residents will be able to utilize this new skillset during collaboration with MMS, ACOG, and state and national lobby opportunities.

"Throughout my career, I've learned my voice and my adovcacy can save as many lives as my scalpel or stethoscope."
- Dr. Jerome Adams, Surgeon General 2020