From the Classroom to Capitol Hill: A Duke DPT Student Finds Her Voice in Advocacy

This past April, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. through my Federal Advocacy course in Duke’s DPT program. This year’s trip coincided with APTA Capitol Hill Day, in which physical therapists from around the country came together to advocate on behalf of the profession and healthcare issues. This included legislation on Medicare payment reform, workforce shortages, and federal student loans. The day before we met with representatives, we attended lectures on how best to communicate with staff and members, the phrasing we should use to best get our message across, and what to expect during our meetings.        

Going into the experience, I anticipated that I’d leave the conversation to the more experienced APTA members. I tend to be more introverted, and was certain I’d feel intimidated by the formality of the event. By the second meeting, I had quickly picked up on the rhetoric and was eager to pitch our ideas to the staffers. At the end of the day, I felt energized and motivated; I was ready to do even more.

My enthusiasm was largely attributed to the relevance of the legislation we brought to Capitol Hill. Through my courses at Duke, the topic of society’s aging population has been emphasized. Healthcare professionals are needed more than ever, especially regarding rehabilitation. Older adults may be hesitant to take a surgical route when it comes to treatment; more awareness about physical therapy- whether for alternative, non-invasive treatment or for post-operative care- is essential to allow patients to make healthy and informed decisions.

When relaying this experience to classmates, colleagues, and family members, a common concern has been “Do you think it’ll really work? How do you know this will change anything?” Admittedly, there have been many times when I’ve felt that legislation moves incredibly slowly, so much so that it feels like no one is working toward achieving anything.

What I did notice, though, was that the morning we arrived, there were lines out the door to get into Congressional offices, staffers conversing in every hallway, and dozens of advocacy groups trekking back and forth from the House Wing to the Senate Wing. I realized quickly that there are people on the Hill working to progress a plethora of issues, and while the process to get legislation passed can take a long time, I appreciated that so many people are working towards change every day. This observation has inspired me to pursue clinician-advocacy further, and I intend to apply to the APTA’s Harker internship in my third year of schooling and return to APTA Capitol Hill Day in the future.