Developing an Advocacy Curriculum: Lessons Learned from a National Survey of Psychiatric Residency Programs.

OBJECTIVE: Advocacy by physicians, defined as a physician's public support for causes, policies, or actions that advance patient health, is increasingly recognized as a professional responsibility as well as a core competency in medical training. The authors describe a survey they conducted on advocacy curricula in psychiatric residency training programs across the USA, from their vantage point as members of an advocacy council within a medical professional organization.
METHODS: Between Fall 2016 and Winter 2018, psychiatry residency programs with advocacy curricula were identified through personal communications with stakeholders as well as a blast email to the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with program leaders at residencies with an advocacy curriculum to collect detailed information on these curricula.
RESULTS: Seven psychiatry residency programs with advocacy curricula were identified. All seven programs agreed to be interviewed and are included in the survey results.
CONCLUSIONS: Lessons learned from this survey include how to approach the development of an advocacy curriculum; the components, attributes, and supports of an effective curriculum; and the challenges commonly encountered by medical educators trying to implement such a curriculum. The authors hope that these observations will contribute to the development of a best practice guideline for advocacy teaching within psychiatry and perhaps for other medical disciplines.