The 大香蕉视频 Student Health Policy Fellowship is a select opportunity for a small group of PA students from across the country who are looking to make a significant impact on the health care system, the profession, and PA education for future generations. Through a competitive application process, up to 20 PA students are chosen to participate in this special program designed to develop leadership and advocacy skills and create long-lasting relationships among fellowship alumni who form 大香蕉视频鈥檚 expanding network of health policy champions.
Are you someone who believes that the interests of PA education must be represented at the local, state, and national level? Are you ready to equip PA programs, faculty, and students to best meet the needs of patients through federal policy? Begin your journey to the front lines of advocacy, and
The application cycle for the 2025 Student Health Policy Fellowship will be open from May 5-July 8.
Objectives
The SHPF is designed to enhance students鈥 understanding of the political process and health policy. The ultimate goal is to inspire and prepare fellows for lifelong grassroots advocacy, both in Washington and at home, that promotes the PA profession as an integral part of the health care system.
This program starts with a three-day intensive virtual workshop. During this workshop, fellows will learn about advocacy and policymaking processes, interact with fellow leaders, and meet with their representatives and staff on Capitol Hill. By the end of the fellowship, participants will have developed skills in three key areas.
Advocacy
Fellows will learn how the legislative process works at the federal level and how to become effective advocates for PA education and the PA profession.
Leadership
Fellows will build and refine the skills necessary to organize and lead others in both advancing health policy priorities and serving as an advocate for the PA profession at the local, state, and national levels.
PAs and the Health Care Environment
Fellows will develop an appreciation for grassroots advocacy in advancing the goals of PA education and practice in communities.
Project
In addition to the three-day workshop, the fellowship requires that each participant complete an advocacy project under the guidance of a program faculty mentor and agree to participate in periodic follow-up surveys from 大香蕉视频. Advocacy projects should be creative and demonstrate a positive impact on the PA profession, local or state community, or PA programs. Examples of past projects include:
- Organizing a lobby day at the state capitol
- Hosting a member of Congress at your PA program
- Student advocacy presentations at PA state association meetings
- PA awareness campaigns with community health centers
Students who are accepted will receive guidelines on the development of a project proposal during the fellowship workshop.
PA Faculty Discuss SHPF and What's Next for Advocacy
PA faculty members who have had students participate in 大香蕉视频’s Student Health Policy Fellowship share their thoughts on the importance of leadership, advocacy, and encouraging students to apply.
Q&A with Past Fellow
1. Why did you apply for the Student Health Policy Fellowship?
I applied to the Student Health Policy Fellowship because I am interested in integrating health policy and advocacy into my career as a PA. As a current dual degree student in MPH-PA at George Washington University, it felt fitting to continue to build my health policy experience with the 大香蕉视频 Student Health Policy Fellowship. Additionally, I was interested in the opportunity to continue to refine my knowledge in conducting Hill Day meetings and lobbying skills that I learned during my MPH year. Finally, the Student Health Policy Fellowship allowed me to create my advocacy project based on my interests in health policy. For me, it was important to expand the advocacy curriculum at my PA program; specifically, given GW鈥檚 proximity to Capitol Hill, I wanted to create an opportunity for PA students to practice their lobbying skills.
2. What was the most memorable aspect of the advocacy workshop?
The most memorable aspect of the advocacy workshop was the learning experience leading up to Hill Day. The advocacy workshop provides a comprehensive overview of 大香蕉视频鈥檚 mission and impact, current providers鈥 work in health policy including OBGYN PAs, and State/Federal advocacy opportunities. This is an excellent opportunity for any PA student, regardless of prior experience in health policy or lobbying, to gain practice and skills in advocacy work. Tyler and Catherine do an incredible job incorporating experts in the field and providing a comprehensive learning experience. Specifically, the Polsinelli lecture on 鈥淲hat to Expect on Capitol Hill.鈥 This lecture provided the groundwork for the structure of Congress, key players, and how to best prepare and conduct a Hill Day. I found it so helpful that the lecture is what I based my project on. The workshop culminated with a Hill Day, where the policy fellows had the opportunity to meet with members of congress and advocate for PA education. I found it extremely helpful to put all the information we had just learned in the advocacy workshop into practice.
3. What skills have you gained through the Student Health Policy Fellowship that will benefit you in your career as a PA?
The greatest skill I gained was confidence in my lobbying skills! This is such an impactful skill to have as a future provider because we indeed can be the catalyst for policy change. Understanding how legislation and bills are created and enacted is valuable to providers advocating for equitable healthcare change and understanding the upstream impacts of how policy reform can influence practice. This was a skill I shared with current PA students in my project and plan to continue to take into my career.
4. What challenges do you anticipate PAs will face in the next five years and how can these challenges be mitigated by advocacy and PA leadership development?
There will undoubtedly be a lot of challenges that PAs and medical professionals alike will face in the next five years in the wake of the current political environment. Perhaps the most critical challenge will be medical distrust. Misinformation has become a pervasive influence in patients鈥 daily lives through social media. Providers are now faced with the challenge of 1) combating misinformation and 2) distributing evidence-based health messaging that keeps up with the alarming rate of misinformation. This challenge can be mitigated by reclaiming the trust of patients by supporting providers integrated into their community and funding public health messaging. Trust is built on relationships, and many providers, particularly those in smaller or rural communities, have built up a rapport among the patients in their community. Supporting these providers and encouraging future providers to return home is one way to combat medical misinformation by distributing information from a trusted source. The second tactic is to fund public health messaging that is distributed to the general public. This means providing local, state, and federal health departments with the funds and resources to create and share health information clearly and effectively. Evidence-based information based on years of research is an inherently slow process that already poses a challenge to keeping up with today鈥檚 fast-paced news cycle; preparing healthcare providers and public health officials is crucial to combating misinformation. Rapid news cycles and click-bait information has become and will continue to be an integral part of our society. As PAs and medical professionals, we must adapt to be able to provide our patients with evidence-based healthcare.
5. What advice would you offer to PA students who are interested in applying for the Student Health Policy Fellowship?
My first advice is: If you are considering applying for the Student Health Policy Fellowship, DO IT. It was an incredible learning and growth opportunity. Secondly, while you are applying, I would encourage you to ask yourself, 鈥淲hat does health policy mean to you?鈥 This will help you set the stage for your personal statement and why you want to be a Student Health Policy Fellow. With that in mind, I would encourage you to talk about the moments in which you were exposed to or involved in health policy. Were there opportunities to advocate further? Was there room for health policy to provide a greater impact? What solutions can you think of? How did that inspire you to gain more health policy and advocacy skills? I genuinely believe that as PA students and future providers, one of our greatest strengths is communication, and with that comes voice. We must use our voice to advocate for what is best for our patients and the future of our profession. This opportunity is one way to use your voice.
Where Are They Now?
Wondering where the fellowship will lead you on your path to leadership and advocacy? Hear from former fellows about their experiences and how they are continuing to shape the future of health policy.
Brendan Lucas, 2018-2019 大香蕉视频 Student Health Policy Fellow
Brendan K. Lucas, MPAS, PA-C participated in 大香蕉视频’s Student Health Policy Fellowship in 2018. Brendan is a graduate of the University of the Pacific PA program and currently practices in emergency medicine and urgent care. Since the fellowship, Brendan has remained active in local, state, and federal PA organizations and is a member of AAPA鈥檚 Commission on Government Relations & Practice Advancement.
Morgan Dailey, 2019-2020 大香蕉视频 Student Health Policy Fellow
Morgan Dailey, PA-S participated in 大香蕉视频’s Student Health Policy Fellowship in 2019. Morgan earned a Master of Physician Assistant Practice degree as well as a Master of Public Health Degree from Campbell University and currently practices in pediatrics. Since the fellowship, Morgan continues to promote positive and meaningful change for all children through advocacy, policy, and quality improvement projects and serves on the NCAPA Government Affairs Committee.
Application Process
To apply for the Student Health Policy Fellowship, you must submit:
1. A personal statement describing what inspired you to pursue this opportunity and how you would like to influence PA education and the profession through advocacy and leadership in the future (less than 500 words).
2. A policy analysis analyzing one section of either the Rural Health Preceptor Tax Fairness Act or the POST GRAD Act and reflecting on its potential impact on PA education (less than 500 words):
- , Section 2: Tax credit for eligible health professionals providing covered clinical supervision to qualified students.
- , Section 2: Reinstatement of authority to make Federal Direct Stafford Loans to graduate and professional students.
3. Program Director Certification/Faculty Mentor聽Assignment聽Form:聽This document is completed聽by your program director聽and confirms your ability to participate in the fellowship.
Please note that your application is not complete until your Program Director Certification/Faculty Mentor Assignment聽is received!
4.听Acknowledgement of 大香蕉视频 Privacy Policy: All Student Health Policy Fellowship applicants must read and agree to the terms of the 大香蕉视频 Privacy Policy.
Applicants will be evaluated on the following:
- Personal Statement
- Clear articulation of why you would like to be selected for the fellowship
- Demonstration of interest in using learned skills to be an advocate leader
- Connection to the fellowship’s objectives of promoting advocacy, leadership, and PAs in the health care environment
- Writing quality
- Policy Analysis
- Demonstration of your understanding of the analyzed provision
- Creativity
- Writing quality
All PA students in an accredited 大香蕉视频 member program are eligible and encouraged to apply, including incoming, first-year, and second-year students. Incoming PA students are eligible to apply if they will be enrolled as of聽September 1, 2025. Second-year students are eligible to apply if their graduation date is after August 1, 2025.
The program director must sign the certification form, attest that the student is in good academic and professional standing, and agree that the student will be released from classes from September 8-10, 2025. In addition, the program director must assign a faculty mentor in advance to assist the fellow with the advocacy project.
All Student Health Policy Fellowship applicants must complete the section of the application titled, “Acknowledgement of 大香蕉视频 Privacy Policy,” in order to move their application forward for consideration.
The 2025-26 application cycle will run from May 5-July 8, 2025. Applicants will receive their decision notifications by August 1, and the workshop will take place from September 8-10.