American Medical Student Association

By Lexi Light
Chair, AMSA Gender & Sexuality Committee

Last week’s national elections brought the re-election of President Barack Obama, along with keeping Democratic control of the Senate and Republican control of the House of Representatives.

With the re-election of President Obama, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will now have the opportunity to be carried out over the next 4 years. While the age of medical coverage on one’s parents plan until 26 is already in effect, we will soon be seeing many other aspects of the ACA put into action. This includes expanded coverage to women’s health care for which contraceptive counseling and contraception is only the beginning. The mandate also covers annual well woman visits, STD and HIV screening, prenatal care, breastfeeding support, mammograms, and intimate partner violence services. This is a huge victory for women, and one step closer to AMSA’s goal of universal healthcare coverage for all people in the United States.

Additionally, Maine, Maryland, and Washington State all passed “marriage equality” amendments and Minnesota voted down the bill that would have constitutionally defined marriage as between a man and a woman. In a 2006 article, “I Do, but I Can’t” the authors address that lack of access to marriage stratifies the LGBT population on many fronts including cultural, political, and economical. The ever growing list of States now broadening the definition of marriage is an excellent start. While we commend these states, it is important to note that even with state recognition of marriage, the rights do not extent to national issues including military benefits, immigration for an international partner, and federal taxes.

We also recognize that this is only one step in the march to full equality. According to the Human Rights Campaign, only 21 states actually outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, and 16 states outlaw discrimination based on gender identity. There is a lot of work to be done at the state and national level to increase anti-decimation legislation & enforcement, and end bullying for LGBT youth. President Obama has done a lot for the LGBT community over his last term including the repeal of DADT, signing the Matthew Shepard hate crimes act, and directing the HHS to guarantee hospital visitation for LGBT families. We are optimistic that he in collaboration with the new congress and the Supreme court will do even more over the next 4.

There is still a long way to go for full LGBT equality to be achieved nationally.

By Molly Zielenbach
AMSA State and Local Policy Coordinator

There’s an eerie similarity between election season and studying for med school exams. At the beginning, you’re in denial – plagued by memories of the stress, outrage, futility, and hopelessness you felt the last time, you pretend like election/test day isn’t staring at you from a distant but rapidly approaching future. Finally, though, something tips the scale and you begin to prepare. You pour your attention into diagrams, charts, “expert” testimonies (from pundits or your ever-wise classmates), and maybe you even start to care about the results. Then, as the day draws closer, you hit a wall. You’re in information overload. You just can’t care anymore.

So how do you get through the wall? For me, the answer is the same in both cases – I find something to keep me inspired. In the case of my impending cardio exam, it’s the joy in finally knowing why they’re always shouting “push more epi!” on Gray’s Anatomy (hey, whatever works, right?). In the case of the upcoming presidential election, it’s remembering that voting is a hard-won right, and a right that too many people in our society still have to fight for.

A large body of evidence tells us that social determinants of health – things like stable housing, clean air, safe neighborhoods, quality schools, access to healthy and affordable food, and good jobs – are the most important determinants of the diseases that bring us patients, and the effectiveness of our treatments. So what determines the social determinants? A major player is the history of discriminatory and unjust laws, policies, and budgets that have marginalized and disenfranchised huge segments of our country’s population, thereby directly and indirectly jeopardizing their health and wellbeing.

By voting, we can put pressure on policymakers, both local and national, to promote the health and welfare of our communities. By standing up for voters’ rights and providing voter registration to disenfranchised communities, we amplify the voices of our patients and support them in advocating for their own health and welfare. So, here are a few simple steps we, as medical students and AMSA chapters, can take to promote health and justice for all:

1) Educate yourself, not just on the Presidential candidates, but on local candidates and policies also being decided on election day. Have your AMSA chapter host an event in the next month on a policy issue that will be affected by the election (keep in mind that AMSA is non-partisan so events should not endorse any specific candidates). And, most importantly, go vote!

2) Sign this petition sponsored by RxDemocracy! and the National Physicians Alliance to defend our communities from voter rights infringement. Check out rxdemocracy.org for more information on the link between health and civic engagement.

3) Host a community voter registration drive at your hospital. This is much easier than it sounds, and depending on where your school is, AMSA’s policy team can connect you with local organizations that may already be doing it. Please contact me (policy.local@amsa.org) if you’re interested!

4) If you live in a state where restrictive voting policies are being enacted or contested, organize your fellow medical students and take a stand! This includes PA, TN, FL, OH, VA, and many others. Get in touch with AMSA’s policy team for more information on how to make your voice heard (again, policy.local@amsa.org).

So get out there and make a difference, for yourself and your patients!