Virginia Research Day 2025

Medical Student Research Education and Simulation

06 Empowering Medical Students for Advocacy and Impact

Natalie Rydzak; Dr. Ryan Fulton; Dr. Harsha Bhagtani Corresponding author: nrydzak@vcom.edu

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Virginia Campus Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA

and practicing advocacy. This presentation detailed first-hand experience in advocacy and how to get involved, providing valuable insight into the foundations of advocacy in medicine. Students completed a Pre-Survey that assessed their fundamental advocacy knowledge. Immediately following the educational presentation, students completed a Post-Intervention Survey. Observations from the survey and post-presentation discussions were gathered and analyzed to expose meaningful insights that can be used to inform future initiatives. Results: There’s a noticeable shift towards more respondents that strongly agreed with the importance of advocacy as a core competency following the intervention, coupled with a decrease in those who disagreed with the statement prior. This trend is mirrored in the level of comfort reported by students before and after, with an increase of those who were comfortable or very comfortable in their ability to

practice advocacy after attending the presentation compared to before, with a complete elimination of those responding that they were uncomfortable with basic principles of medical advocacy. Following the presentation, students indicated most frequently that partnerships with advocacy organizations could be the most effective way to incorporate advocacy training into medical curricula. Conclusion: Overall, the data indicates that the intervention successfully enhanced students' preparedness and self-assurance in engaging with the advocacy process. This highlights an untapped potential for involvement at the student level, paving the way for the future of advocacy in medicine through the continuation of this program. IRB Determination of Not Research obtained on September 5, 2024. VCOM-IRB Record #: 2024-182

Background: Advocacy is a fundamental responsibility of physicians, particularly pediatricians, who hold the unique task of providing a voice for those who need it most. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) emphasizes this essential aspect of care by recognizing advocacy as a core competency for medical students and physicians alike. There is marked variability, however, in the way that advocacy is integrated into medical school curricula. Objective: With an emphasis on AAP-related initiatives in mind, this quality improvement effort aims to evaluate medical students’ understanding of advocacy in attempt to enhance established advocacy education curricula. Methods: Through an interventional presentation given by a practicing pediatrician and local AAP representative, students at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine were engaged in understanding

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2025 Research Recognition Day