Physicians & Social Responsibility

Physicians and Social Responsibility I, II, III
Course Director

The responsibility of a physician is not only to deliver excellent care, but also to work to change systems when they conspire to make it difficult to do the right thing. PSR1 gives medical students the tools to identify areas within health care that need change and how to work effectively to make that change happen. PSR2 builds on students’ experiences to equip them to identify and address the policies, systems, and assumptions underlying the health care system’s inadequacies and injustices. PSR2 includes 1) a seminar on levels of systems change and advocacy skills for physicians and 2) a mentored project to effect change in health care. The seminar portion is presented as an eight 2-hour sessions on Wednesday afternoons. The project requires 40 hours outside of class. Projects are focused on a specific advocacy effort, and may include clinical service in settings providing care for the marginalized or policy work for professional organizations, advocacy groups, or health care institutions. PSR3 is a continuation of these lessons brought into the clinical context, where students can explore institutional advocacy and advocacy at the bedside.

Health Systems Science: Health Policy & Advocacy

HSS5: Health Policy & Advocacy
Course Co-Director

HSS5 is an intensive one-week course for medical students that teaches health policy and advocacy skills during the MS1 year. This course involves a flipped-classroom model that uses in-class time for case discussion and skills practice. Over the course of the week, students engage in large and small group didactic sessions, as well as community-engaged learning with community-based organizations and local policymakers.