Capitol Hill Takeover Why we advocate: DOs, students discuss education funding and medical volunteerism on DO Day DOs and students spent the day speaking with members of Congress about pressing issues in osteopathic medicine. March 13, 2018Tuesday Ashley Altus Contact Ashley Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Topics DO Day Last week, medical students and DOs engaged with Congress and lawmakers to advocate for the profession for DO Day 2018. During Capitol Hill meetings, medical students and DOs shared their personal experiences to illustrate why access to student loan programs in The Higher Education Act and the protection of medical volunteers via the Good Samaritan Heath Professionals Act are of critical importance to physicians. Support from members of Congress to cosponsor the Good Samaritan Act hit close to home for Roozehra Khan, DO, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and an attending critical care physician. She is waiting to hear back from several medical organizations for clearance to travel to Puerto Rico as a volunteer physician. “Being able to freely go there in a quick manner would be really important,” Dr. Khan says. Celebrating last year’s advocacy win Students and DOs also had the opportunity to personally thank members of Congress who voted to reauthorize funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program for two more years. This advocacy win will ensure funding to train primary care physicians in underserved areas. Natasha Thiagalingam, OMS I, at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, feels students are best suited to engage members of Congress. “These students are fresh faces entering into the profession. For lawmakers to hear directly from us makes a big impact,” Thiagalingam says. For additional reading: DO Day 2018: Over 1,000 DOs and osteopathic medical students storm the nation’s capital Kathleen Sebelius on health care policy and importance of access and prevention Scope of practice expansion efforts: What you need to know More in Advocacy Breaking DOwn barriers through advocacy Some pathology residency programs were requiring minimum COMLEX-USA scores with percentiles dramatically higher than those for USMLE. That has changed, thanks to intervention and advocacy. Preventing targeted gun violence in our schools For years, stories of gun violence in schools have dominated the headlines. MSUCOM seeks to address and put an end to this brutality. Previous articleMedicine: The Musical headed to an off-Broadway theater Next articleMaking the post-match move: 5 tips to ensure a smooth relocation
Breaking DOwn barriers through advocacy Some pathology residency programs were requiring minimum COMLEX-USA scores with percentiles dramatically higher than those for USMLE. That has changed, thanks to intervention and advocacy.
Preventing targeted gun violence in our schools For years, stories of gun violence in schools have dominated the headlines. MSUCOM seeks to address and put an end to this brutality.