One of the goals of the SID five-year strategic plan is to engage the next generation of the specialty in government relations activities. In order to facilitate participation early in their training, SID member David Rubenstein proposed a new program. The SID Advocacy Training Program for Residents was created to provide dermatology residents interested in advocacy an opportunity to participate in the process.

Dermatology Department Chairs were asked to nominate residents that have an interest in advocacy and the legislative process. Nominees represented a wide spectrum of educational and career paths, including MDs, MD/MBAs, MD/PhD and MD/JD degrees. Participants in the program’s debut represented 14 medical schools from across the United States.

A collaborative effort between the SID, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the Coalition of Skin Diseases (CSD), the SID debuted the Advocacy Training for Residents Program in conjunction with Skin Disease Research Day (SDRD) activities on April 5-6, 2005. Residents who demonstrate an interest in advocacy are chosen to attend the program, which teaches strategies and skills for positively influencing public policy. Through role-playing sessions and other means, residents prepare for the following day’s meetings with members of congress and their staffs.

For more information about the program, please click here.