To design and implement an advocacy-based curriculum for neurology residents based on their reported interests and need.

Advocacy is an important skill among healthcare professionals, however trainees are rarely offered a formal advocacy curriculum. We sought to implement a monthly speaker series highlighting important advocacy topics within neurology, such as health disparities, drug pricing, refugee health, and reproductive health.

A needs assessment was distributed among adult and pediatric Neurology residents from 2022-2023 to evaluate knowledge and interest in advocacy training. This was used to inform the creation of an advocacy-based curriculum. We then collected structured feedback from residents and speakers following exposure to an advocacy curriculum comprised of monthly talks during morning report.  

41 out of 56 residents completed the needs assessment. 80% of respondents indicated interest in health advocacy education as part of their training, with more than half reporting lack of prior training in health disparities or advocacy. While most (~70%) felt comfortable advocating at the patient level, only 26% felt comfortable advocating at a local level, 7% at a state level, 5% at a regional level, and 2% at a global level. Residents felt advocacy could be incorporated in many ways, including weekly didactics, a structured elective, independent project, and volunteer opportunities.

Following implementation of an advocacy speaker series for one year, feedback collected from residents suggested a majority felt these sessions contributed to their understanding of advocacy related issues in healthcare. Speakers who participated in the series also shared that it increased their excitement to continue research in this area.

Despite a lack of familiarity with advocacy, a majority of neurology residents were interested in a structured advocacy curriculum, and found a monthly speaker series beneficial to their learning in neurology.