Alex Chen, MS4
Keck School of Medicine of USC
Writing on the eve of The Match, attending the CAFP All Member Advocacy meeting (AMAM) with the support of the LAAFP was a fitting capstone to my medical school education. AMAM invited all to participate in the broader, important goals of meeting inspiring family physicians, setting priorities for practice and policy, and lobbying policymakers for these changes.
Dr. Reid Blackwelder, Past President of the AAFP, shared the real-world experiences that belie his strong advocacy for family medicine as the primary care specialty. Though the value of family medicine has always been apparent to me, we must continue to emphasize to others the broad spectrum of medical, procedural, and preventive care we can provide to our communities, as well as reinforce how a strong family medicine presence can help improve community health and healthcare access.
Given the primacy of family medicine, I appreciated the discussions on upcoming legislation in Sacramento (lots of excitement), clarification of proposed changes to public charge rules (even more extensive and pernicious than originally reported), and how to manage raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (deny entry, despite pressure). Furthermore, I enjoyed caucusing with the LAAFP for the first time on several resolutions. In the ensuing discussion at the caucus and at the broader AMAM resolutions hearing, it was refreshing to hear the perspectives and stories that drove members to speak out about each resolution, and to see policy-making in action.
When it came time to meet with our legislators, Adam Francis, CAFP Director of Government Relations, reminded us first-time lobby day participants that the priority was to tell our story: why we love family medicine, how family medicine serves our patients, and the benefits we can bring to our communities. Storytelling is foundational to our specialty, whether in diagnosis, developing longitudinal relationships with our patients, or sharing their lives, triumphs, and challenges. For those outside of medicine, and especially those who represent us, there is no more effective way to communicate and share the consequences of decisions made outside the exam room.
Thanks to the LAAFP’s support, I believe attending the AMAM has improved my ability to effectively advocate for my patients and community, and that all residents would benefit from attending the AMAM to build a strong, vocal, and effective family medicine community.
Jolie Coooperman, MS4
Keck School of Medicine of USC
Prior to attending the 2019 CAFP All Members Advocacy Meeting, I had no experience with lobbying. As a graduating, fourth year medical student, I had been inspired by all of the amazing advocacy work being done by physicians I had met along the Family Medicine residency interview trail and was eager to get involved. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have attended AMAM 2019 because it granted me the first step in my commitment to lobbying and advocacy.
Over the course of two days, I was trained to speak with legislators but I also gained education on current healthcare policy issues and built relationships with inspired CAFP members who are working tirelessly to better the lives of their patients. A panel on immigration policy and healthcare barriers was particularly informative, providing guidance on how to legally and respectfully handle difficult situations like ICE raids. These sessions offered me a unique view of some of the major concerns and roadblocks Family Medicine physicians face. When CAFP members offered testimonies in response to proposed CAFP resolutions, it was inspiring to watch as several physicians stood and spoke of the families they serve. The power of this experience truly cemented the importance of having a platform where concerns can be voiced freely and met with professional, collaborative discussion.
On Monday, it was time to put what we had learned to use and lobby for provisional bill AB 1622. I was fortunate enough to be paired with the physicians from Kaiser Fontana, who kindly welcomed me and encouraged me to take an active role during our meetings. It was a joy to work with them, learning more about their career paths, their current practices, and share my story with them as well. This part, for me, was a highlight of the weekend. The fact that CAFP members from all levels of training, from the fourth-year medical student to the post-graduate attending, could come together in collective way to work towards a common goal was an experience unique to most of the medical world. Ultimately, I came away from my experience at AMAM 2019 completely invigorated. They say the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know and it feels particularly poignant in this case. I am eager to begin my training as a full spectrum Family Medicine Physician which, in my opinion, includes a well-versed knowledge of healthcare policy and active involvement in advocacy and lobbying. I want to thank the LAAFP for giving me the opportunity to attend this wonderful conference and I look forward to attending next year!
Innie (Haein) Kim, MD
Family Medicine Resident – PGY1
Citrus Valley Health Partners, FM Residency Program
I often found myself excited about life’s possibilities and the changes I envisioned for my patients, but I was brought back down to Earth because my inner voice never failed to ask me, “do you have something meaningful to offer others?” I tried to convince myself that humility kept me from action, but if I am to be brutally honest with myself, I know that it was good old fear that perpetuated my inertia.
When I went to my first AMAM session on Leadership Training for Students and Residents Saturday morning, I was invigorated and motivated by the scintillating speakers, who urged all of us to get involved with advocacy. As usual, my inner voice asked me, “do you have something meaningful to offer others?” It must have been exceptionally grating and loud that day, because as soon as the question was asked, Dr. Carol Havens answered from the doorway, “if you want to do it but don’t think you can, just do it! We will help you and we will not let you fail.” Needless to say, this was quite the powerful kick off to my first AMAM experience.
Throughout the weekend, I was constantly inspired by passionate speakers and other attendees. I was deeply moved to see physicians overcome with emotion as they advocated for their immigrant patients who do not seek medical or prenatal care for fear of being tracked by immigration authorities or losing citizenship eligibility, or for their patients who end up comatose in the hospital while attempting to ration the insulin they can no longer afford.
What became so apparent over the AMAM weekend is that taking advantage of the opportunities to effect positive change must occur despite the fear. My inner voice is still getting used to the idea, but I am finding that the question it asks me is changing from whether or not I have something meaningful to offer others to how I can offer something meaningful to others.
Krista Ring, MS4
Keck School of Medicine of USC
While applying to family medicine residency programs this year, I had the opportunity to reflect on what kind of physician I wanted to be and what impact I wanted to impart. From practicing socially-conscious medicine, engaging with community resources, and doing my part to decrease socioeconomic and racial minority health disparities, all of my goals required an in-depth understanding of social climates and advocacy for larger, systemic change. Having never been involved in advocacy, I did not know where to start and I was delighted to receive the email advertising the AMAM.
Throughout the weekend, I had many of my own concerns validated while also learning about other pertinent issues facing the communities I will soon be serving. One of the lectures I particularly enjoyed was the panel discussion on “Public Charge and Immigration Issues.” Amid a tumultuous political climate, I have felt the unease among many of our patients without legal status and heard of patients forgoing medical care altogether to avoid negatively impacting applications in the future or out of fear of being sitting ducks for ICE raids.
Although I was unable to attend the lobby day on Monday, I left the AMAM with the belief I could be an advocate for change and the knowledge of a community of like-minded medical students, residents, and family medicine doctors who are also fighting for our patients and communities. Thank you to LAAFP for this opportunity to attend.
