Medical students value advocacy and health policy training in undergraduate medical education: A mixed methods study.

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to describe medical students' perceptions and experiences with health policy and advocacy training and practice and define motivations and barriers for engagement.

METHODS

This was a mixed-methods study of medical students from May to October 2022. Students were invited to participate in a web-based survey and optional follow-up phone interview. Surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Phone interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and de-identified. Interviews were coded inductively using a coding dictionary. Themes were identified using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

35/580 survey responses (6% response rate) and 15 interviews were completed. 100% rated social factors as related to overall health. 65.7% of participants felt "very confident" or "extremely confident" in identifying social needs but only 11.4% felt "very confident" in addressing these needs. From interviews, six themes were identified: (1) participants recognized that involvement in health policy and/or advocacy is a duty of physicians; (2) participants acknowledged physicians' voices as well respected; (3) participants were comfortable identifying social determinants of health but felt unprepared to address needs; (4) barriers to future involvement included intimidation, self-doubt, and skepticism of impact; (5) past exposures and awareness of advocacy topics motivated participants to engage in health policy and/or advocacy during medical school; and (6) participants identified areas where the training on these topics excelled and offered recommendations for improvement, including simulation, earlier integration, and teaching on health-related laws and policies.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of involvement in health policy and advocacy among medical students and the need for enhanced education and exposure.