Health Advocacy Training: Now Is the Time to Develop Physician Leaders

To the Editor: Physicians have a societal responsibility to be health advocates and must act to positively influence public health and policy. But how can they achieve this without learning about the legislative process and policy reform? It is time for advocacy training to become more prominent in training future physicians, as the skills developed will enhance students' comprehension of how to deliver optimal patient care at the population level. Several regulatory physician organizations emphasize the importance of health advocacy training.1,2 At the medical school level, it is outlined in the AAMC's Medical School Objectives Project3 and in the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination objectives.4 Several U.S. medical schools have incorporated health advocacy training into their curricula. For example, Cha et al5 developed a one-month curriculum in health activism where students research, develop, and implement an advocacy plan. However, Canadian medical schools have been slow to adopt similar programs. To address this deficiency, the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary hosted the first Annual Alberta Political Action Day (PAD) to engage medical students in political advocacy and policy reform. The 40 students participating received training from accomplished lobbyists and physicians and implemented it by meeting with over 41 elected representatives. The two-day requirement of this initiative makes PAD a good approach for medical schools to use to start integrating health advocacy training into their already busy curricula. Proficient health advocates will become leaders in health care by becoming health administrators, joining lobbying groups, or assisting charitable organizations. The need for stronger physician leaders has never been greater. Clearly, it is time for medical schools to place greater emphasis on health advocacy training. Peter J. Gill Medical student, MD/PhD Program, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; [email protected]. Harbir S. Gill Medical student, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Thomas J. Marrie, MD Dean, Dalhousie Medical School, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

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