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

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.

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.

Seven psychiatry residency programs with advocacy curricula were identified. All seven programs agreed to be interviewed and are included in the survey results.

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.