Medical Student Section Representative Candidate No. 1

Soha Patel

1) Complete Name: Soha Patel

2) Home: Tampa, Fla.

3) School: University of South Florida College of Medicine

4) Student’s Memorandum on Issue of Importance

Access to Health Care for Women
Meeting the health care needs of women requires a comprehensive understanding of several interrelated issues, including: the social, cultural, economic and physical environments of women; financial access to health care services; provider awareness of the need for women's health services; and the quality and outcomes of health services provided to women.

But we also realize that gender inequality has a higher toll on women's health due to the discrimination they face in nearly every culture. Gender inequality exacerbates the harmful effects of poverty and lack of education on women's health, hampering the ability of millions of women worldwide to access health care and achieve the best possible level of health.

This lack of access to health care for women also exists in the United States. A survey, titled “Fixing Health Care: What Women Want” gathered responses to questions about health care from 1,270 U.S. women age 18 and older. According to the survey, women put better access to their primary care physicians at the top of their wish lists (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2008). In some areas of the United States, having close access to any health care clinic is a challenge, especially in rural and urban areas. Given the high numbers of uninsured women and the fact that even women with health insurance face barriers to care, states should enact policies to help women gain access to health coverage and care. We need to bring more women into the realm of health care insurance, remove barriers caused by a lack of health care insurance and the inability to leave work to address medical needs, promote patients’ rights, and facilitate women’s access to specific services.

Access to Health Insurance & Services:
Policies that promote greater coverage through Medicaid are a critical role in providing access to care for millions of low-income women nationwide. States can expand access to Medicaid and improve outreach efforts to eligible populations. We can also improve access to health care by regulating the private individual health insurance arena and by aiding women with limited English proficiency to gain access to needed services.

Access to Specific Services:
States can improve women's health status by broadening access to specific services important to women including: pharmaceutical costs, long-term care issues, mental health care services, coverage of diabetes-related services, length of maternity stays, breast and cervical cancer services, sexual health, family planning, and violence against women.

Family and Medical Support:
Many women facing a serious health condition or caring for a family member cannot afford to take needed time away from work. Because women disproportionately bear the responsibility for family care giving, many endanger their own health by struggling to meet the demands of both work and family care. While providing unpaid family and medical leave is an important step in helping Americans balance work and family responsibilities, enacting paid leave policies makes such leave more affordable.

Preventative Care and Educational Support:
In addition to the annual physicals, women are also in need of educational services. These services should focus upon prevention (HIV/AIDS, STDs, cervical cancer, and breast cancer) and general information about chronic diseases (hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes). With preventative care and educational support, women will be at less risk for the common pathologies facing them today.

Overall, the American Medical Association can take an active role in combating some of the challenges facing women with regards to access to health care. By being active in federal and state policies, the AMA is truly the voice for the uninsured as well as for women’s health care rights.

5) Personal Statement

It is with sincerest enthusiasm that I apply for student membership on the Women Physicians Congress Governing Council. I am currently a second year medical student at the University of South Florida College of Medicine (USFCOM). My educational background includes a Master of Science in Reproductive and Sexual Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) as well as extensive leadership and service experience with various women’s groups and the American Medical Association. At LSHTM, my degree focused upon women’s health concerns at the international level including HIV/AIDS, STDs, maternal mortality, and disparities existing with regards to access to health care.

Since entering medical school, I have been very active in mentoring young women by creating a group called Kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscope is a middle school-based program that encourages young underrepresented minority girls to pursue a career in medicine as well as strengthen character and self-esteem, build and foster healthy relationships, and develop their leadership potential. With disparities existing in medical school acceptances among minority women, it is essential to begin teaching young women how to become strong leaders in their communities.

In addition, I am also the USFCOM’s representative on the Women’s Status Committee, a Presidential Committee. The goal of this committee is to ensure equal access to educational opportunities and address issues concerning equitable pay for women in hiring, retention, and promotion. Being on the women’s status committee has prepared me to become an effective leader representing various women’s rights.

Within my medical school, I have taken on several leadership roles including: executive chapter chair of the AMA chapter at University of South Florida, president of the Obstetrics/Gynecology Interest Group, as well as being a founding member of the BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic, a student-run clinic for the underserved.

Academically, I am the Principal Investigator of a study conducting research on the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, a current public health concern for women (A Piloted, Qualitative Assessment of the Knowledge, Behaviors, and Attitudes of Young Women (ages 18-26) towards the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Infection, the Human Papilloma Virus Vaccination, and Cervical Cancer).

I have been very fortunate to have strong women as mentors throughout my life, both professionally and personally. The Women Physicians Congress would be an influential way for me to take an active role in policies that affect women as well as develop an active voice for women in organized medicine.

Essentially, I would embrace the opportunity to become a member on the Women Physicians Congress, as it would be a valuable learning experience to work with healthcare leaders of our community as well as establish a stepping-stone for future AMA involvement. I look forward to working with you with in the future.

STAFF NOTE: For the AMA Medical Student Section Representative positions, the students were asked to provide:

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