An inter-professional ‘advocacy and activism in global health’: module for the training of physician-advocates

Abstract

Medical students typically learn about the role of physicians as health advocates through a component of the health professionalism curriculum. Recently, there has been a call for increased exposure to health advocacy in undergraduate medical education so that students can develop the interest, knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they will utilize throughout their careers as physician-advocates. We developed a four-session Advocacy and Activism training module that consisted of formal didactic teaching, training in basic skills, debate and discussion, and the development and presentation of advocacy projects. There were several uniquely innovative aspects of this module, including its structure, content, and inter-professional approach that included students of medicine, nursing, and public health. However, this approach also resulted in some important and unexpected limitations. We were encouraged by the quality of student participation during the module, as well as specific feedback regarding the format and content. The module was a low-cost, easy-to-implement, and academically rigorous model that can be implemented by interested students and faculty at other schools. We plan to continue to develop this program in the future, and we believe that other medical institutions should consider a similar model for introducing students to their future role as health advocates.