Advocacy Rotation

The second year rotation includes elements of legislative advocacy, health policy, public awareness/use of media, teaching, and community pediatrics. During the rotation month, residents participate in a number of community-based activities designed to increase their exposure to the social and environmental determinants of health.

The purpose of the rotation is to train residents to:

Develop a tool kit of advocacy skills that can be applied in any community
Use advocacy to advance the health of individual patients/families
Identify and establish community based partnerships
Describe and participate in the legislative process
Dedicate concentrated time to longitudinal project implementation and evaluation

Specific aspects of the curriculum are summarized below.

Individual Level

At the individual level, residents identify a need of a continuity clinic patient/family and provide individual advocacy efforts on behalf of the patient/family. These advocacy efforts may include phone calls, letter writing or provision of information on health or community resources.

Read more about the individual level.

Community Level

At the community level, residents participate in a number of exercises designed to familiarize them with the community where most of their patients live. These exercises include windshield survey of a low income neighborhood, a scavenger hunt of community locations, and a “day in the life” activity in which residents must complete a number of activities that patients/families often experience (e.g. apply for Medicaid; find day care for a child with special needs). Residents also participate in community activities such as health fairs, health career fairs, science competitions and discuss readings about cultural and social determinants of health with a preceptor. In addition, residents work on their teaching skills by addressing students in the local school system on a variety of health-related topics.

Advocacy Rotation

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