Building Faculty Capacity for Advocacy in Academic Medicine

Advocacy is a core tenet of medical professionalism and is increasingly valued in medical education and academic promotion. However, institutional investment in faculty advocacy training remains limited. This gap undermines the sustainability and effectiveness of advocacy curricula in undergraduate and graduate medical education, where faculty expertise and mentorship are essential. In today's sociopolitical climate, marked by threats to public health infrastructure, reproductive rights, and health care access, academic medical centers are uniquely positioned to respond. Faculty trained in advocacy not only improve curricular quality and mentorship but also serve as role models, helping restore agency to physicians facing burnout and moral injury. Advocacy participation further supports faculty promotion through scholarship, teaching, and service. Yet major barriers remain, including lack of protected time, institutional risk aversion, and a shortage of qualified faculty. To fully realize advocacy's potential to advance health equity and foster professional fulfillment, institutions must invest in structured, experiential faculty development programs. Doing so will activate faculty leadership, strengthen academic missions, and better prepare future physicians to meet society's evolving needs.