O’Brien is charged with staying informed about medical policy and serving as an effective liaison between members of the Southern Region, the Administrative Board of the OSR, as well as the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Office of Government Relations.
I Along with the delegates from the other regions, O’Brien will work with the National Legislative Affairs Delegate on projects that aim to improve medical students' knowledge and voice within the governmental policies that will shape the way in which they practice medicine.
“I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to engage students at a regional and national level and encourage them to stay knowledgeable and active in the political environment that will shape their careers,” O’Brien said. “The AAMC and the OSR have a number of incredible individuals working to tackle the evolving state of the healthcare policy.”
Current projects of the Legislative Affairs Committee include the creation and distribution of an information graphic about the Affordable Care Act aimed at medical students, surveying the current status of medical policy education at medical schools across the country, and serving as contact points for an OSR Special Interest Group focused on business in medicine.
“My hope is that with this position, I can stay more abreast of the current state of healthcare policy,” he said. “I also hope to motivate other medical students to take part in the effort to lobby for more effective, efficient healthcare for all of our current and future patients.”
