Knowledge

• Gain an understanding of the State and Federal Judicial System as it pertains to health policy and law
• Understand structure of government and the legislative process
  • Understand the role physicians play in creating and implementing healthcare policy
• Advocacy Framework:
  • Structural competency
  • Trauma informed care
  • Reproductive Justice
  • Global health equity
• Health Systems
  • The failings of our current healthcare system: Cost containment, universal coverage, better systems in other countries

Skills

• Communicating an Effective Message:
  • Develop proficiency in written media 
    • Op Ed writing
    • Letter to the editor
    • Legislative fact sheets or policy briefs
  • Understand how to craft and reference short text bulletins for use on social media.
  • Gain proficiency in verbal communication and targeted messaging for media relations
  • Lobbying 101, including at the Massachusetts State House and Capitol Hill
  • Writing and delivering legislative testimony
• Developing Strategic Action Plans:
  • Identifying a problem amenable to advocacy with values clarification. Grounding advocacy in personal experience and/or professional duties and adapting advocacy skills to issue/patient population
  • Defining a problem and its scope
  • Understand unique position of physicians to link social issues and health
  • Civic engagement as a cornerstone of medical practice
  • Medical society affiliation
  • Creating research to affect policy
• Leadership:
  • Coalition building: identifying and engaging strategic partners, contacting and collaborating with partners, needs assessment
  • Community partnership: engaging with local and global community organizations to advocate for change