Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, has been an AMA member since day one.
Literally.
Dr. Suk, who is chair of the AMA Board of Trustees, joined his local AMA chapter the first day he was eligible to do so as a medical student. Initially, Dr. Suk thought being an AMA member was great because it gave him access to JAMA®, but he quickly learned that becoming affiliated with organized medicine provided far more opportunities than he initially realized.
"One of the things that struck me immediately was the welcoming nature of folks who were in my local AMA chapter," said Dr. Suk, who is professor and chair of the Musculoskeletal Institute and the orthopaedic surgery department at Geisinger.
The AMA "encouraged me to continue to embrace this idea that one day I would be a physician, and that part of being a physician was to not only advocate for our patients, but also for medicine as a whole," said Dr. Suk, who is also chief physician officer of Geisinger System Services. Geisinger is a member of the AMA Health System Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
Dr. Suk spoke about leadership opportunities in organized medicine and the value of medical student advocacy in a recent episode of “AMA Update.”
It’s about more than practicing medicine
When Dr. Suk entered medical school, he thought he was merely learning to become a physician. What he discovered was that working in health care is about more than medicine.
"I felt that the role of advocacy was really not only part of my own personal journey but should be part of the professional journey of anybody who's going to become a physician and study to become a physician one day," he said. "We get to take care of patients. We get to think broadly about clinical issues and solve problems. But more importantly, we also get to address the larger-picture items and issues that are at hand that actually affect our day-to-day practice and our ability to care for those patients."
In his role as chair of the Musculoskeletal Institute at Geisinger, Dr. Suk helps train more than 60 residents and fellows. The ones who stand out are the those who look at their jobs and the role they play from a wider perspective.
"That translates into their critical problem-solving skills," he said. "That translates into their ability to be great team members. And ultimately, it translates into their ability to become great leaders."
For medical students looking to turn their passions into health policy, the AMA offers the chance to connect with nearly 53,000 AMA student members, get hands-on experience advocating for change at the state and federal levels through trainings, meetings and events in Washington, D.C.—and online. Find out more about medical student leadership opportunities with the AMA.
Become active advocates
When Dr. Suk evaluates medical students, he appreciates their commitment to the causes they care about.
"I look at the fact that they take ownership of something they can change, and they became passionate about it," he said.
For medical students looking to become more involved in advocacy, the path to getting involved is simple, Dr. Suk said.
You just have to start.
"When you're willing to step up, you will find opportunity, and people will find you," he said. "We look for volunteers. We look for people with passion. I think those are the ones who are most successful in our profession."
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