Advocacy

The UCLA Pediatric Residency Program is committed to training pediatricians who are advocates for children and their families. In addition to the opportunity to participate in advocacy training through the advocacy thread in +1 week didactics and the primary care/public health track, residents are also invited to join the Pediatric Advocacy Council.

UCLA Pediatrics Advocacy Council (UCLA PAC)

Mission

Established in 2019, the UCLA Pediatrics Advocacy Council (UCLA PAC) is a coalition of pediatric residents passionate about advocacy and children’s health issues.

Objectives

To form a community for residents to feel supported and inspired to incorporate advocacy into a career in pediatrics
To help residents develop the habits, confidence, and skills needed to advocate for children and families on both a micro and macroscale
To connect residents with faculty mentors who exemplify how to incorporate advocacy into a career in pediatrics

PAC Activities

PAC members are divided into five “advocacy firms” and paired with faculty mentors with expertise in advocacy.
Each firm is tasked with organizing a noon conference lecture. The noon conferences, titled “Take Action Tuesdays” (TAT), consist of hour-long sessions that include an educational component, followed by an immediate “call to action” that is completed as a group.
The PAC also holds after-hours advocacy events which have included socials, journal clubs and round table discussions themed around advocacy topics of interest, walks/runs in support of organizations benefiting children and their families, and events in partnership with the local AAP Chapter 2.