Earlier this week, nearly 50 medical students came to the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing for the Michigan State Medical Society’s Medical Student Section Lobby Day. This annual event inspires medical students to become more politically aware and active in MSMS. Physicians have a tremendous ability to shape decisions around health policy and the Medical Student Section Lobby Day provides medical students with an opportunity to experience this process early in their careers.
Throughout the day, medical students from Central Michigan University College of Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine met with lawmakers to urge support for more graduate medical education (GME) funding in the state budget, the importance of vaccine promotion, as well as continuing to pursue ways to work together to address the opioid epidemic.
During the day medical students heard from MSMS's Director of State and Federal Government Relations Christin Nohner on key legislative issues, and the Michigan Doctors' Political Action Committee (MDPAC).
MDPAC is the political arm of the MSMS and is a bipartisan political action committee made up of physicians, their families, residents, medical students and others interested in making a positive contribution to the medical profession through the political process. MDPAC supports pro-medicine candidates running for the State legislature, Michigan Supreme Court, and other statewide positions. Join today!
MSMS member and Ingham County Medical Society Immediate Past President, David T. Walsworth, MD, of the MSU HealthTeam, presented an advocacy 101 training on how to speak to legislators. MSMS’s Board Chair and Genesee County Medical Society Board Member S. Bobby Mukkamala, MD, spoke on the importance of organized medicine and advocacy.
Students met with the following legislators (or staff):