Author: Dana Shuaibi, Premedical Division President
This month, Alivia Hardman (Premedical Division President-Elect) and I had the incredible opportunity to represent AMWA’s Premedical Division on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. As the current President and President-Elect, stepping into the role of advocacy at the national level was both exciting and humbling. We were reminded that medicine doesn’t just happen in the clinic – it is shaped every day by the policies created at the national level.
Throughout our advocacy day on Capitol Hill, we met with congressional offices, including legislative assistants for Representatives John Rose, Vern Buchanan, Mike Rodgers, John Cornyn, Nikki Budzinski, Hilary Scholten, Timothy Kennedy, and Richard Blumenthal. In these conversations, we focused on the importance of advancing appropriations funding for the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH). For decades, women have been underrepresented in clinical research, leading to gaps in medical knowledge and care. Strengthening ORWH funding is critical to closing those gaps and ensuring better outcomes for all patients.
We also discussed other pieces of legislation, including bills such as the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act, the Lorna Breen Reauthorization Act, the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, the Seniors’ Act, the CHANGE Act, and the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA). The conversations we had were both collaborative and engaging, and reminded us that even as students, we play a big role in shaping policies that will impact us and our future patients.
One of our biggest takeaways from the day is that advocacy is for all of us. You don’t need to be a physician or policy expert to get involved – just a willingness to speak up for what matters in healthcare. Advocacy is simply another way of practicing medicine and helping patients beyond the clinic, and as students, we are uniquely positioned to share the perspective of the next generation of healthcare providers.
We encourage every AMWA student member to take two simple actions in the next month:
- Call or email your state legislator and your member of Congress to urge support for advancing appropriations funding for the Office of Research on Women’s Health.
- Choose one bill from those we talked about above that resonates with you, and reach out to your representatives to express your support, encouraging them to co-sponsor the bill.
Our day on Capitol Hill showed us that when we speak up, lawmakers listen – and together, we can shape a healthier future for all if we take the time to advocate for patients and healthcare workers.