The Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine’s Healthcare in Action (HIA) Fellowship is an experiential learning opportunity in collaboration with FIU in DC designed to educate medical students on healthcare policy and leadership at the federal level. The highlight of the fellowship includes a 2-day fly-in to Washington D.C. where students interact with and learn from various stakeholders that influence health policy, including federal agencies, think-tanks, lobbying groups, and non-governmental organizations. This year’s trip consisted of conversations with the KFF, CATO Institute, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, PhRMA, USAID, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fellows also had the opportunity to visit the congressional offices of Rep. Dr. Michael Burgess (TX-26) and Rep. Byron Donalds (FL-19) to discuss legislative action on healthcare reform and share perspectives on current challenges and future goals. The fellows selected for this trip are a vibrant and diverse group of medical students who share a passion for healthcare policy and are interested in assuming leadership roles during their medical careers. Each fellow authored a research brief pertaining to their own personal healthcare policy interest, and the culmination of their work is provided in this document.
