Advocating for Patients Beyond the Walls of the Clinic
Jason Denoncourt
As the train screeched into the Boylston stop, two men glanced my way, curiosity settling on my suit and tie. “Are you a lawyer?” one asked. I laughed—a fair guess, given my attire. “No,” I replied, “I’m a medical student.” I wasn’t heading to the hospital or a lecture hall, but to the Massachusetts State House, where I would testify in support of new legislation to strengthen primary care.
Standing before legislators, I realized that a career in academic medicine is about challenging the status quo. Change in medicine may take many forms, whether through research, teaching, or policy. I aspire to contribute by advocating for patients and improving our health systems.
As a medical student eager to make an impact, I was honored to sit alongside about twenty prominent physicians—healthcare leaders whose published textbooks, influential research, and careers serve as models for the physician I hope to become. For the first time, under the gold dome of the State House, I saw a version of myself among them—not just as a student, but as someone actively contributing to the future of healthcare. Though I lacked titles and career accolades, I shared my perspective as someone training in a system that undervalues and underinvests in primary care.
Primary care is the only component of healthcare where increased supply leads to better population health and more equitable outcomes (1). Yet, the United States invests less than most other comparable countries into primary care, which is reflected by the increasing shortage of primary care physicians and widening gaps in health equity (2).
I shared my perspective on factors attracting but also deterring many students from pursuing primary care. Many begin medical school drawn to its continuity, broad scope, and community impact—but quickly realize the system does not share those values. Rising administrative burdens and a persistent sense that primary care lacks respect and support leave many students discouraged.
The legislation I supported addresses many of these concerns by calling for greater investment in primary care and introducing a new payment model designed to ease administrative burdens, allowing physicians to better focus on caring for communities.
As a future physician, I will directly impact hundreds of patients and, more broadly, the local community. But this experience also reminded me that advocacy isn’t limited to policy experts. As a physician-advocate, I aim to influence and challenge the systems that impact my patients every day.
Dressed like a lawyer but speaking as a future physician, I was there to advocate for patients and for the future of primary care. I’m grateful for the chance to share my perspective with lawmakers and to play even a small role in the push for meaningful, systemic change.
References
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Implementing High-Quality Primary Care: Rebuilding the Foundation of Health Care. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2021. doi:10.17226/25983
Bodenheimer T. Revitalizing primary care, part 1: root causes of primary care’s problems. Ann Fam Med. 2022;20(5):464-468. doi:10.1370/afm.2858
Jason Denoncourt is an MS3 at UMass Chan Medical School who is interested in family medicine and community health.
