Attending a general interest conference or workshop: (2-3 points)

 

As someone who needs to work on being informed on politics the health advocacy talk really showed me how deeply health outcomes are shaped by political decisions. The discussion started off with an informative presentation explaining the process by which a policy or piece of legislation is put into place and all the hoops and bounds it must go through to be put into action within our legal system, really laying the foundation for the conversation. We discussed new health policies put in after the reelection of Donald Trump and their direct impact on patient access, availability of services, and the distribution of resources. What struck me most was the clear evidence showing how Black and impoverished communities consistently bear the greatest burden of these harmful policies. This session related to the habit of mind civic orientation, underscoring that medicine does not exist apart from society but is shaped by systems of power. It also helped me understand the connections among policy, economics, race, and health inequities. The talk pushed me to question who these policies serve and what role future physicians must play in health justice. Ultimately, this experience reaffirmed my desire to approach medicine with a passion for equity. 

- Giavonni Whitener