Investing in Your Future: Promoting Resident Advocacy

As physicians, we stay busy. Think about your typical work week. Routinely, we find ourselves wearing several hats, oftentimes fulfilling various roles at any given time. One such role that often goes overlooked is that of an advocate. Early on in our medical training we learn the importance of advocating on behalf of our patients. Unfortunately, during our training years we often place the “advocacy pot” on the back burner, so to speak. Why does this happen? Do we have ourselves to blame? I would argue that residents who decide not to invest in their future are punching a losing ticket right off the bat. Would you walk into an O.R. without the tools necessary to navigate your patient safely through surgery? Would you volunteer to host a Fourth of July cookout without a grill? Absolutely not! It is imperative that we as young physicians put our best foot forward...