ABH empowers students & professionals through our Public Health Advocacy Fellowship.
ABH’s Public Health Advocacy Fellowship creates a connection between medicine and public health for students by offering opportunities to engage in local public health advocacy activities.
About the Program
Advocates for Better Health firmly believes that healthcare advocates play an integral part in improving public health and building healthy communities. By walking alongside community members and forming partnerships that put respect and equity at the forefront; providers can help plant seeds of change. We strive to foster advocacy in all stages of your career, from training and beyond.
Program Curriculum
The Public Health Advocacy Fellowship was founded in 2017 as an experiential program for medical students to get hands-on, real-world training in advocacy. Through small cohorts, connecting with like-minded peers, and interacting with local leaders, students engage in the process of public policy, systemic change, and turning passion for a specific issue into action. During the program year, students build their advocacy skills through three main program components:
Skills training (legislative advocacy, communications skills, etc.) provided by ABH staff
Mentoring from a physician advocate, ideally with experience in the student’s area of interest, and
Hands-on experience with public health advocacy, for example meeting with elected officials, working with community leaders, or publishing a letter in a news publication.
Our Fellows and Mentors
The fellowship program began with 11 medical students and physician mentors in 2017-18 cohort, and has grown to include more than 115 student/mentor pairs. We are thrilled to continue to support medical students in gaining new advocacy skills and experience, and are grateful for the physician advocates who take time to connect with their student mentees.
Read more about each year’s cohort of students, mentors, and their advocacy interests here.
Our Funders
This program is made possible through the generous support from individual donors and a grant from The Physicians Foundation which provides grants to strengthen physician-patient relationships, support physicians in sustaining their medical practices and help practicing physicians in navigating the changing health care system. Additional support is provided through a grant from the Minnesota Medical Association Foundation.
Founding support was provided by Advocates for Better Health | The Foundation and by Dr. Pete Dehnel. Dr. Dehnel is a former ABH President and has been involved in efforts to reduce tobacco’s impact on the lives of people for over 15 years with tenured involvement with city, county and state efforts to eliminate second hand smoke and include e-cigarettes in smoke-free ordinances. Dr. Dehnel wishes to impart his love for advocacy to future physicians through his support of this fellowship.
