Addressing the health advocate role in medical education

Suzanne Boroumand,Mohammad Jay,Shafik Dharamsi,Julia W Shen,Michael J Stein,Michael Hirsh

doi:10.1186/s12909-020-1938-7

Suzanne Boroumand, Mohammad Jay + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-1938-7

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Abstract

The health advocate role is an essential and underappreciated component of the CanMEDs competency framework. It is tied to the concept of social accountability and its application to medical schools for preparing future physicians who will work to ensure an equitable healthcare system. Student involvement in health advocacy throughout medical school can inspire a long-term commitment to address health disparities. The Social Medicine Network (SMN) provides an online platform for medical trainees to seek opportunities to address health disparities, with the goal of bridging the gap between the social determinants of health and clinical medicine. This online platform provides a list of health advocacy related opportunities for addressing issues that impede health equity, whether through research, community engagement, or clinical care.First implemented at the University of British Columbia, the SMN has since expanded to other medical schools across Canada. At the University of Ottawa, the SMN is being used to augment didactic teachings of health advocacy and social accountability. This article reports on the development and application of the SMN as a resource for medical trainees seeking meaningful and actionable opportunities to enact their role as health advocates.

Highlights

The Health Advocate role is a vital pillar of the CanMEDs competency framework, requiring future physicians to develop key capabilities that would enable them to address the social determinants of health and improve health outcomes at the level of the patient, the community, and the populations served
The Social Medicine Network was founded on the principle that social accountability is essential for anyone working in healthcare
This article is written to highlight the innovative method of educating medical trainees using the Social Medicine Network for the often neglected CanMEDS role, the health advocate

Summary

Introduction

In 2013, a small group of medical students and residents at the University of British Columbia, with faculty support, established an online platform to assist medical trainees to seek out meaningful opportunities to enact the CanMEDS role of the health advocate [22]. The Social Medicine Network (SMN) The Social Medicine Network is a web-based resource that lists clinical, service, and research related opportunities where medical trainees can gain practical knowledge and skills to address the social determinants of health and respond to health disparities that vulnerable populations may face [22].

Results

Conclusion