Page 24 - Layout 1

LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP

First Tuesdays:

A Medical Student Perspective

A Q&A with Second Year Medical Students at UT Health San Antonio
Ryan Wealther & Swetha Maddipudi

Tell us about what a day at the Capitol looked like welcomed and briefed on what to expect during the day. The physi-
as a medical student. cians who took us under their wing were informative and helpful,
Swetha: We woke up at 4am to drive up to Austin so we were explaining every step of the way what to expect. Walking as part of
heavily caffeinated and very energized. We attended an advocacy the white coat invasion assuaged the feelings of nervousness and I
101 training before we walked within the crowd of white-coated entered the Capitol feeling like my voice might have some weight
physicians towards the Capitol—it was a very surreal experience. and my brain might have some knowledge.
We participated in meetings alongside the BCMS delegation and
spent time observing before we began speaking up and sharing our Ryan: I was very nervous. I had never met a legislator before,
perspective. Dashing between meetings and working with a quickly and I didn’t know what to expect. Would they welcome me? Would
shifting schedule kept us on our toes and kept the adrenaline levels they dismiss me? I didn’t know. Fortunately, I had a seasoned fourth
high. Once the day completed, we realized just how much we had year medical student with me during my first time and the BCMS
accomplished in one visit to the Capitol and we were already looking physicians. They prepared me for what to expect and helped me
forward to our next visit. along the way. By the end of my first First Tuesday, I was excited
and ready to go to the next one.
Were you nervous before your first
First Tuesdays? How did it feel walking into a legislator’s office

Swetha: So incredibly nervous. Entering the TMA building in for the first time?
my white coat and seeing white coats surrounding me was nerve- Swetha: When I walked into a legislator’s office for the first
wracking. Though I had been active in our school’s leadership for time, I was initially taken aback. I expected a larger presence in the
TMA, I hadn’t yet participated in an advocacy day; I felt a slight re- office, though it was still quite ornate and full of memorabilia of
turn of imposter syndrome from my first days of medical school. the representative’s tenure. Our group was quite large so we
However, I quickly found the BCMS delegation and we were warmly crammed ourselves into a small meeting room and made the meet-

24 San Antonio Medicine • August 2019