I first heard that phrase as a first-year medical student at an American Medical Association (AMA) event, and it has stuck with me ever since. I am currently a CA-3, and throughout my training I have consistently found that simple sentence to be true. We encounter moments throughout the entirety of our day as anesthesiologists when political and legislative interventions either overtly or surreptitiously maneuver their way into our practice. From preoperative documentation to what medications are available in our cart, there are many upstream medical decisions taken out of our hands and often made by career politicians with little to no health care experience.
In a previous ASA Monitor article, I discussed the influence of the AMA and why it is essential for our voices, as anesthesiologists and trainees, be heard.1 My goal in this article is to provide examples of how physicians and medical students can influence...
