Health care policy

Resident leaders: Apply for policy fellowship by Aug. 15

Designed to cultivate future leaders, the AOA’s Training in Policy Studies program helps DO residents polish their advocacy skills.

Rose Raymond
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Designed to cultivate the osteopathic medical profession’s future leaders, the AOA’s Training in Policy Studies (TIPS) program allows DO residents to spend a year developing and polishing their advocacy skills. The AOA, which is administering the program for the first time this year, is accepting applications for the fellowship through Aug. 15 and will choose fellows in late August.

Previously run by the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) in Old Westbury, the TIPS program is the brainchild of NYITCOM Vice President Barbara Ross-Lee, DO, who wanted to create a new leadership opportunity for medical residents. The AOA is thrilled to take over the program and work with its residents, says AOA Vice President Alissa Craft, DO, who is assisting with the implementation of the program.

“We want to create leaders for our profession, and using health care policy education as a driver for leadership training was Dr. Ross-Lee’s vision for this resident-level project,” Dr. Craft says. “We are so excited to have this program at the AOA.”

Fellowship details

TIPS fellows will:

  • Attend four fellowship sessions throughout the year, during which they will discuss important health policy topics such as physician payment models, the opioid epidemic, comparative effectiveness research and how the results of the 2016 elections will influence health care policy.
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  • Select a policy issue they’re passionate about and develop a publishable paper and presentation on it. Potential outlets for publication include The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association’s new Students, Residents and Fellows (SURF) section, health policy journals and state osteopathic association publications.
  • Have the opportunity to mentor students and receive mentorship from the osteopathic medical profession’s leaders.
  • Interact with other residents interested in health care policy and leadership.
  • Polish their presentation and writing skills.

The TIPS fellowship is open to all DOs who have completed one year of postgrad training and are in an active residency program accredited by the AOA or the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Learn more about the program and apply by Aug. 15.