Abstract

A Time in Medicine to Start Your Journey Of Advocacy and Empowerment Manisha Punwani, M.D., APA resident fellow delegate AMA and a fellow in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The influence of politics in health care has altered the practice of medicine over the years. Physicians struggle to keep the reins of medicine in their hands. I have heard many physicians who have practiced medicine for decades talk with nostalgia about the simplicity that once surrounded the provision of patient care in this country. To ensure that patients have access to the services they need and that these services are high quality, residents should begin their involvement in advocacy and related professional activities early. Organizations such as APA and the AMA provide education and opportunities to residents to become advocates for their profession and train them to be leaders. To be successful as advocates of our profession and patients, we need to understand issues concerning graduate medical education and national health policies. The AMA Resident and Fellow Section (AMA-RFS) has been successful at advocating for change in areas such as resident work hours, collective negotiations, resident contracts, working conditions, public health and