An Op-Ed Writing Curriculum for Medical Students to Engage in Advocacy Through Public Writing

Background: Op-ed writing can be a powerful and accessible advocacy tool for physicians, but training is lacking in undergraduate medical education.

Aim: To train and engage first-year medical students in op-ed writing.

Setting: Midwestern research-intensive medical school.

Participants: All students in a required first-year health policy course in 2021 and 2022.

Program description: For their health policy course's final assignment, students could opt to write an op-ed on a healthcare issue of their choice. All students received written instruction on op-ed writing. Additionally, they could access a seminar, coaching and editing by peers and faculty, and publication guidance.

Program evaluation: Of 179 students over 2 years, 105 chose to write op-eds. Fifty-one attended the seminar, 35 attended peer coaching sessions, 33 accessed structured peer editing, and 23 received faculty assistance. Thirty-eight students submitted a total of 42 op-eds for publication. Twenty-two pieces were published in major outlets and 17 in the university's health policy review. Of the 22 in major outlets, 21 received editing from either peers or faculty.

Discussion: An op-ed writing curriculum can be integrated into an existing medical school health policy course, resulting in a high level of engagement and in published op-eds by medical students.