Advocacy Education
McGovern Medical School has a robust program to introduce a variety of skills to teach the physician trainee to be an effective advocate for their patient, colleague, and community. Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Advocacy Sandy McKay, MD, FAAP, has designed a series of didactic lectures, workshops, and online modules from first year through fourth year to teach students critical skills in problem identification, communication, collaboration, compromise and prioritization, and problem solving. These skills are essential when caring for a patient at a bedside or working collectively to build a system to deliver health care to a large region.
First-year medical students are introduced to the essentials of advocacy through a flipped classroom approach. Here they participate in online modules which review the theory and historical perspectives of advocacy as well as review skill sets essential to the advocate, such as effective communication via email, writing skills, and verbal communication. In-person sessions review case-based scenarios focused on how to apply skills that will impact patients at all levels of advocacy.
Adjunct Associate Professor David Weisoly, DO, continues and expands on themes from Advocacy 101. Dr. Weisoly, who also serves as director of advocacy and government affairs for the Perinatal-Neonatal Medicine Division, will include a review of the various levels of advocacy and a discussion of the impact of advocacy on the general population from a health care perspective. Case examples interacting with the medical student audience will highlight community and grassroots-based advocacy and the role of physicians in advocacy.
Advocating for patients is a daily skill for the physician, and being able to effectively communicate with colleagues in a variety of situations is essential. In this workshop, Dr. McKay teaches the art of the elevator pitch — a skill that applies not only to direct patient-care situations, but also to a broad range of situations beyond the clinical environment. Students will learn how to craft an advantageous elevator pitch that will serve them when speaking to patients, colleagues, legislators, supervisors, or even a spouse. Honing this skill helps you communicate key talking points in a clear, concise, and compelling manner.
Dr. McKay leads this workshop that teaches both organizational policies and protocols as well as essential skills to effectively champion your cause in any media setting. As the Department of Pediatrics advocacy expert, she draws on her wealth of firsthand media interactions — both on camera and off — to offer informative, engaging, and applicable tips along with opportunities to practice.
Second-year medical students receive a one-hour didactic overview from Dr. McKay about the epidemiology of firearm injury and the intersections of injury patterns from a population-level approach along with its impact on the health of the system. They will learn about system-level interventions that can reduce injury and death to patients and how physicians can collaborate to reduce harm while still maintaining the individual’s right to bear arms. This culturally competent approach to firearm injury prevention will highlight ways that partner with the firearm-owning community to demonstrate how injury prevention, when investigated from a population-level mindset, can prioritize safety while still allowing individual rights.