Medical students drive change through neurology advocacy
November 3, 2025
Thousands of neurologists make their voices heard through AAN advocacy, and they aren’t the only ones. Future neurologists participate, too! If you’re a medical student, advocacy might be one of the best ways to prepare for what’s next.
“Even this early in my career, I can see the difference that understanding your patients’ barriers and working to reduce them can make on building patient rapport,” said medical student Juliana Katz. “Advocating for change that will benefit patients, from reducing administrative burden to supporting telehealth access, is the ultimate act of validation of their challenges. And often these improvements go hand in hand with change that directly benefits clinicians.”
Medical students are eligible for free AAN membership, including benefits designed specifically for them like Student Interest Group in Neurology (SIGN) chapters. They also have access to many of the AAN’s other resources and advocacy opportunities like the student advocacy toolkit.
So, if you’re a student, how can you participate in the advocacy efforts that benefit your future field and patients?
Katz, a student at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Rhode Island, jumped into advocacy in a major way this year: She joined two faculty members and a resident at her university to participate in Neurology off the Hill. This summer event, the in-district counterpart to DC-based Neurology on the Hill, connects AAN members with their members of Congress for meetings during the August congressional recess.
“The four of us sat down with members of Congress and their staff and had a conversation about the CONNECT for Health Act and the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act,” Katz said.
Katz presented data that shows why each bill is urgently needed to address various barriers to care, while her colleagues illuminated the more personal side of the issues by sharing real-life stories from themselves and their patients.
“This was my first experience participating in neurology advocacy, and the AAN made it incredibly accessible for me as a student,” Katz said. “We were provided with talking points, which helped guide me to become more educated on these critical topics. It was empowering to sit at the same level as legislators and have an open conversation about our concerns, and to feel heard and respected for our experience providing medical care.”
She also felt supported by her more experienced colleagues, who made it clear that even as a student, she had a valuable role on the team.
Across the country from Katz, UCLA student Osasumwen Virginia Aimiuwu, PhD, was also lending her voice to AAN advocacy. She and her mentor met with a representative of their member of Congress to gather support for the same pieces of legislation, using both data and impactful real-life stories to share how the two bills would improve patient care.
“As a medical student, I often feel powerless in the face of all the political challenges of our medical care system,” Aimiuwu said. “This experience, however, showed me that I have a voice, and I felt empowered advocating for changes that will improve our health care system.”
Aimiuwu says that she has noticed how burnout, exhaustion, and heavy workloads can lead to a feeling of resignation about the “imperfect” health care system. But advocacy remains key—especially for the vulnerable people neurologists often serve.
“I think it is imperative on us to be their voice and to ensure the equitable access to high-quality care that they deserve,” Aimiuwu said. “As an aspiring pediatric neurologist, patient advocacy is even more important to me, given how vulnerable the pediatric population is and how early access to care can make a huge difference in outcomes, especially in this patient group.”
How can medical students advocate for neurology?
As future neurologists, medical students interested in neurology bring a unique, necessary perspective to advocacy. You can always get started by talking to someone more experienced to see what they recommend. For both Katz and Aimiuwu, working with a neurologist mentor kick-started their participation in advocacy.
“Just ask a mentor or an attending you’ve worked with!” Katz urged. “Anyone you talk to can likely at the very least be able to send you resources so that you can read and learn about topics in neurology advocacy. I like to stay in the know by reading the AAN newsletters. Being better informed will help you support your patients and answer their questions.”
There are more than 150 SIGN chapters at schools around the world, providing a space for the next generation of neurologists to learn and connect—and if you’re part of a SIGN chapter, try talking to your faculty advisor and getting involved in advocacy together. Events like Neurology off the Hill aren’t the only way to get involved. If you have only a few minutes, simple acts like reading the AAN’s biweekly Capitol Hill Report newsletter, joining the Political Outreach for Neurological Support (PONS) network, contacting your lawmakers through the Advocacy Action Center, getting involved with your state neurosociety, and pursuing the other opportunities in the AAN’s student advocacy toolkit can make a big difference—because you’re joined by hundreds and sometimes thousands of AAN members who are participating right along with you.