Medical student reflects on American College of Physicians' Leadership Day on Capitol Hill

On April 28-29, 2025, NEOMED representatives Mehool Patel, M.D., chair of Internal Medicine, and first-year medical student Julie Centofanti, advocacy chair of the Internal Medicine Interest Group, had the opportunity to attend the American College of Physicians (ACP) Leadership Day in Washington, D.C., to meet with Ohio legislators to advocate for patient care. ACP Leadership Day enables ACP members from all 50 states to meet with their elected officials and advocate for their patients on a national level.

Julie’ shared the following reflection on her experience at ACP Leadership Day:

ACP Leadership Day was my first experience advocating for patients on a national level. Through this conference, I was introduced to wonderful physicians, residents and medical student mentors that helped me as I navigated leadership day. I learned some of the main issues that ACP is concerned about, and how to best discuss these needs with the legislators on Capitol Hill.

We had encouraging discussions with Senator Bernie Moreno and the staff of Senator Jon Husted, as well as other representatives from the state of Ohio. Our discussions included improving healthcare for millions of Ohioans and fellow Americans. It was an honor to discuss my experience with the Choose Ohio First STEM Research Program at Youngstown State University, a program championed by Sen. Husted when he served as Lieutenant Governor. I discussed the outstanding experience that I have had with the Ferrell Lab, highlighting the importance of continued funding for medical research! I am thankful for the opportunity to speak with our representatives at the national level and for the time they spent with us.