News & Media
Physicians, Residents and Medical Students Encouraged to Attend Advocacy Day
The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) and your profession needs you to attend Advocacy Day on March 11. This event offers physicians, medical students, and residents an opportunity to engage directly with policymakers on issues affecting clinical practice and patient care. The day begins with a policy briefing and review of current legislative priorities, followed by small-group meetings with legislators or their staff. Participants receive background materials and talking points in advance, ensuring conversations are focused, substantive, and efficient.
For many who attended last year, the experience was both practical and transformative. As Kristi Hawley, DO, reflected, “If physicians aren’t at the table, who is making decisions on behalf of healthcare? Advocacy Day in Lansing made that clear.”
What began as an opportunity to learn the legislative process became a firsthand view of how policy decisions directly affect patients, practices, and the future of medicine in Michigan. Doctor Hawley described the experience as eye-opening—not only in understanding how healthcare legislation is shaped, but in recognizing how much influence physicians can have when they show up informed and unified. Advocacy Day also fostered connections with a network of engaged colleagues, reinforcing that a coordinated physician voice is essential when healthcare policy is being written.
This year presents a particularly important opportunity for engagement. The Michigan State Medical Society is actively advancing and monitoring several consequential bills, including proposals related to Continuing Medical Education requirements and scope of practice. Physician participation ensures that legislative discussions are grounded in clinical reality and aligned with patient safety, professional standards, and the long-term sustainability of medical practice in Michigan. Register Now!