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Inspiring Residents Through
First Tuesdays at the Capitol
By Robin Reister, MD
’ll never forget the first time I
spoke to a lawmaker. It was a
Isunny morning in New York
City, as my fellow residents and I
piled into a car for the three-hour
drive to Albany. Stepping into
the NY State Capitol building, I First Tuesday meeting with Representative Stan Gerdes.
was nervous. What could I—a During the recent Legislative what I had realized during my own
third year Internal Medicine Session, I took part in the Texas experience in Albany—that we as
resident—possibly say to help these Medical Association’s “First Tuesdays physicians have a deep understanding
lawmakers understand the real and at the Capitol” initiative, when of how policy decisions affect our
meaningful impact of expanding physicians from all over Texas travel community, and that engaging the
healthcare coverage? to address policymakers. We started people who make policies is not only
Proudly wearing my white coat, the day at the TMA building for appropriate, but empowering. It is
I proceeded to speak about the breakfast and the informative my hope that the more I can teach
struggles of my patients in the presentation, Grassroots Advocacy residents through experiences such
Bronx; that many remained without 101. Then we donned our white coats as First Tuesdays, the more I—and
coverage to pay for crucial and walked to the nearby Texas State we as physician leaders—can inspire
medications such as insulin. The Capitol to meet with the lawmakers. other physicians to have a voice in
more I spoke, the more I realized During our first meeting with shaping and influencing health policy
how my experience and words as a a State Representative, I listened as and to become delegates and leaders
physician could really matter— residents shared personal stories, just in organizations such as TMA and
reaching beyond just my individual as I had done years ago. Imbued with TCMS, and perhaps even some day,
patient encounters and into the halls that same passion, they spoke about to become lawmakers themselves.
of power—to influence health policy their devotion to primary care, but
on a state or even national level. also about their fears—of practice Robin Reister, MD, is an Assistant
Residency is a challenging time creep, of their enormous student Professor in the Department of Internal
and not just because of endless debt, of the challenges our patients Medicine at Dell Medical School and
physical and cognitive demands. face accessing care. We walked the Program Director for the Primary
It’s also a time when new physicians hallways of the Capitol, debriefing Care Track of the Internal Medicine
can begin to feel frustrated about and refining how to tell our stories. Residency Program
the ways our healthcare system I watched with a deep sense of
and certain governmental policy pride as their confidence
decisions affect patients. As an grew with each encounter.
educator, I am committed to At the end of the
teaching about systems of health, day, I asked some of the
and how inequities and social residents to describe their
determinants are often more experience. Comments
prognostic than a family history or ranged from “10 out of
BMI. I often hear from our residents 10!” to “I finally felt like I
that they want to do something was doing something.”
about these big issues, and they One of the residents told
want to know how their voices can me she is now inspired to
be heard. I see it as part of my job to be more engaged during
help all physicians—and residents future legislative sessions.
in particular—understand that their I saw in these residents Drs. Annelisa Pessetto, Robin Reister, Emily Binford, Brandon
voices matter. Herrera-Doerre, Simisola Kuye, and Anupama Kapadia (front).
TCMS 2023 July • August 17
