Media contact: Adam Pope, arpope@uab.edu
Alex Cody, a second-year student in the UAB School of Health Professions' Physician Assistant Studies program, has been selected by the Physician Assistant Education Association for the Student Health Policy Fellowship. This is a three-day intensive workshop in which fellows develop skills in three areas:
- Advocacy — learn how the legislative process works and how to become effective advocates
- Leadership — build and refine skills to organize and lead others
- Health Care Environment — develop understanding of the role of PAEA and the American Academy of Physician Assistants in advancing health policy
"I am so grateful and thrilled to be one of the 14 PA students selected for this fellowship,” Cody said. “While I was an undergraduate student at UAB, I developed a passion for increasing minority representation in medicine, especially in my future profession.
"There are barriers that minorities face that deter them from considering a career in medicine, and I have personally encountered some of them. Through this fellowship, I look forward to obtaining the skills that will allow me to effectively advocate for polices and initiatives that encourage minorities to consider a career as a physician assistant."
The Student Health Policy Fellowship will be held in Washington, D.C., Sept. 10-13, 2017. In addition to the meeting, fellows are required to complete an advocacy project under the guidance of a program faculty mentor before September 2018.