Health Justice Scholar Track

What is Advocacy?

* Speaking out on issues of concern. - NP Action
* An act of pleading or arguing, which shows active support by favoring a cause or idea. - Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
* Persuasive communication and actions to support a cause or issue that attempts to change policies, positions, and programs.-RHO Archives

Goals and Objectives: This elective course offering is designed to provide a longitudinal experience for medical students who have an interest in social justice and health advocacy. First, second, and fourth year medical students will have an opportunity to learn about health care as a right and health justice as an advocacy objective. Theoretical and experiential learning will provide understanding and skills necessary for effective advocacy training during medical education, curricular experiences, and career choices. The objectives of the curriculum are as follows:

(1) To introduce students to the concepts of health rights and health justice within the framework of an open and civil society and in the context of their roles as health providers.
(2) To teach students the nuances and mechanics of effective issue advocacy on behalf of their patients and communities through theoretical and experiential learning.
(3) To provide the students with an opportunity to work on an advocacy research project that culminates in a final report and public release of their findings.
(4) To develop a longitudinal understanding through experience of how sustained advocacy can impact health determinants (political, financial, social, cultural) and subsequent health.

Each component of the curriculum is open to all students. Only those students completing all components of the curriculum will be eligible to receive special distinction at Graduation as a Health Justice Scholar.

Enrollment in Health Justice Scholar Track: All students interested in becoming a Health Justice Scholar (HJS), declare your intention by emailing the Office of Medical Education (medicaleducationoffice@georgetown.edu) stating your name, your class year, and your intent to participate.

Health Justice Scholar Curriculum

1. It must represent an issue of direct relevance to a patient or patient population. Ideally, it should highlight an issue of inadequate access, lack of availability of services, or inappropriate delivery models for serving a population or patient. The focus of project can be the health care community, policy makers, hospitals or health systems, local, state, or the federal government.
2. Projects focusing on disease management, best practices, provider reimbursement, patient education interventions (when not oriented towards patient rights) or scope of practice domains, while all having merit, fall outside the scope of objectives for this course.
3. The project must require a limited and reasonable amount of out-of-classroom time commitment from the students. This course is ideally suited for telephone-based surveys and client interviews when the individuals are readily accessible. Each student should not be expected to work more than 2 to 4 hours total in data collection.  Appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals are required prior to starting.
4. It is expected that participating students will present their findings as a fourth year at the annual Health Advocacy and Social Justice Week, held in the spring, and sponsored by the Office of Medical Education.

2.  How to Advocate on the Hill

3.  Media Training

4. Messaging:  Making your Voice Heard