Kicking off Match Week with a recap of the American Osteopathic Association's DO Day on the Hill conference. Match Week is when fourth-year medical students find out first if they matched into residency and finally where they matched. It dictates their next chapter while also helping shape the future of medicine.

To ensure these rising physicians are entering into a supportive medical environment, my colleagues and I devoted our time to the DO Day on the Hill: A Leadership Development and Advocacy Summit. We heard from keynote speakers including Duke University's Senior Policy Fellow, Susan Dentzer, who reviewed the current US Administration's plans to address the pandemic, medical coverage, and cost with a focus on value-based care. The CDC's Deputy Director for Infectious Disease, Dr. Jay C. Butler, took time during his speech to acknowledge the hard work Osteopathic physicians and medical students are doing to help overwhelmed healthcare systems.

We spoke with Congress's Representatives and Senators to discuss three key important healthcare issues: physician burnout, preventing Medicare cuts, and graduate medical education funding. As the AOA states, "while these issues did not arise under the COVID- 19 public health emergency, the pandemic has exacerbated existing problems."

I discussed physician burnout, a topic that is especially relevant as many medical students find out where they will be doing residency training. Healthcare professionals experience high levels of stress as part of their day to day lifestyle. Prior to the pandemic, 45-55% of medical personnel reported feeling burnout. In the United States, doctors have the highest suicide rate out of any profession. It is crucial these incoming residents have the support and resources needed including mental and behavioral health support and wellness resources. The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S. 610) aims to "support suicide prevention training, increase awareness and education on suicide and mental health concerns among health care professionals, and helps promote mental and behavioral health among those working on the frontlines of the pandemic," (Federal Advocacy Initiatives). This bill was recently re-introduced to the Senate and our hope is that it soon becomes law.

For those who found out they matched today, congratulations! I am so proud of all of you and it has been amazing to have the opportunity to mentor several of you. For those who did not receive the news they were hoping for, you worked so hard and have come so far - now is NOT the time to give up. Now is NOT the time to feel burned out. Not matching does not dictate your success as a physician. One of my best friends scrambled into a residency spot through SOAP and she is now a thriving Internal Medicine physician who loves her career, her patients, and her lifestyle. I am excited to see where everyone ends up matching on Friday and hope our efforts on Capitol Hill positively impact your training and education. I encourage you all to get involved with shaping healthcare policy to advance the practice of medicine and patient care. Check out the AOA's website to learn more HERE.

Reference:

Federal Advocacy Initiatives, n.d. American Osteopathic Association. Retrieved March 15, 2021 from 

    https://osteopathic.org/about/advocacy/federal-advocacy-initiatives/