From the classroom to the capitol: Medical students in action

Being passionate about political and social issues can sometimes bring frustration, as the issues often seem too complex and lofty to be impacted by any one individual’s actions. But this spring, we experienced something uniquely powerful: hundreds of white coats filling the halls of the Texas Capitol. It was a powerful reminder that even in the face of complex healthcare policy, real change begins when passionate individuals come together with a common purpose.

Few events capture the spirit of collective advocacy like the Texas Medical Association’s (TMA) First Tuesday. While the Texas Legislature is in session, every month there is an awe-inspiring day where hundreds of TMA attending physicians, residents and medical students visit the Texas Capitol in Austin to make their voices heard for matters closest to our collective heart: physician livelihood, our patients and public health.

Medical student advocacy was the theme of the April 1 First Tuesday, and we were lucky enough to be in attendance. At first, we weren’t quite sure of our role. As second-year medical students, we initially felt a bit out of our depth. While at First Tuesday, we grew in our own identities a bit, as we discovered that we truly were some of the most qualified individuals (save for the attendings and residents, of course) in the building to speak to lawmakers about major healthcare issues.

This event was an opportunity for us to put our passion into practice. During this event, both TMA leadership and our mentor, Dr. Andrew “Jimmy” Widmer, empowered us to see the value in our medical student perspective. With our place in training, we have the unique perspective of still being “fresh” and open-minded as young and still-learning healthcare providers, but experienced enough to personally resonate with many of the core issues facing the profession.

Each of us has expressed interest in health policy and physician advocacy, whether that be through leading the TMA/AMA student organization or enrolling in the Health Policy Pathway at Baylor College of Medicine, our home campus. The issues we discussed with legislators directly impact our future as physicians, and we were able to use our experience in clerkships as personal testimony and rationale for our stances.

After a short policy briefing the night before, our team decided to focus on three important issues: the Scope of Practice of advanced practice registered nurses, clarifying life-of-the-mother exemptions, and graduate medical education funding. We got to meet with representatives from the offices of both the state and our local Bell County and were so grateful to each office for taking time out of their busy schedules to hear our presentations.

Using a combination of personal experiences and data from TMA, we made our case. Each office brought a different perspective — some supportive, others more hesitant — but all engaged, introducing nuanced, well thought out questions and concerns to the conversation. Therein lies the difficult thing about advocacy: continuing to stand up for your values despite how others may initially receive them. Overall, the event was excellent practice for getting involved in the legislative process as we were exposed to a tangible way to use our voices for advocacy and empowered to identify as leaders in the world of healthcare.

As we continue through our medical education, we know that working with the TMA can protect and improve the medical community and our patients. We left the Capitol that day feeling inspired, empowered and more prepared to become not just competent clinicians, but informed, active participants in shaping the future of healthcare. Advocacy isn’t just for policymakers — it’s for anyone who cares deeply about medicine and the patients we serve. We encourage all of our student peers to consider volunteering their time for an experience like this. Our voices matter!

By Jordan Ezekiel Pemberton, Katherine Elaine Myers, Marin Elise Guthrie and Jimmy Garda, second year medical students at Baylor College of Medicine Temple campus

Any opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not represent the views of Baylor College of Medicine.

The authors participated in First Tuesday in their personal capacity and not on behalf of Baylor College of Medicine or any other institution.