Emergency Medicine Health Policy & Advocacy Fellowship

emergency medicine health policy and advocacy fellows and faculty

Drs. Hannah Gordon (Fellow), Ira Nemeth, Alison Haddock, Cedric Dark, and Sachin Santhakumar visit Capitol Hill offices during ACEP Leadership and Advocacy Conference.

Fellowship Director's Message

Cedric Dark, M.D., MPH, FACEP

Welcome to the Health Policy & Advocacy Fellowship at the Henry J.N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine, where we are dedicated to training the next generation of leaders to navigate the complexities of the political landscape and bridge the gap between the bedside and the halls of power. As you embark on this pivotal year, you will be mentored to cultivate your own unique expertise and gain hands-on experience in policy challenges that span from our diverse Houston clinical sites to the national stage. Much like the wisdom passed down through generations before me, this fellowship is designed to hone your skills, expand your influence, and prepare you to shape the future of medical education and health systems reform. I look forward to guiding your development as you begin this journey and fulfill your destiny toward becoming a true policy expert.

Health Policy & Advocacy Fellowship

Advanced Specialty Training Program

The Henry J.N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine provides a one-year Health Policy & Advocacy Fellowship beginning in July. Working closely with our faculty, the fellowship experience will be tailored to meet the fellow’s professional goals while providing broad exposure to health policy issues relevant to the city of Houston, the state of Texas, and the nation.

The trainee will work clinically as an emergency medicine attending at either Ben Taub General Hospital, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, or Texas Children’s Hospital, which are diverse, high-volume, high-acuity emergency departments in Houston, Texas. After completion, the fellow will be positioned as a policy expert, filling a unique niche in medical education for most institutions.

Admissions

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until October 1.

Applicants must be board-eligible or board-certified in emergency medicine, within five years of completing residency, and able to obtain an independent license to practice medicine in Texas.

Letter of interest, CV, and contact info (name, phone, and email address) for three professional references.

See Baylor College of Medicine's Benefits Cost & Coverage Information Guide for details.

Dr. Cedric Dark, Fellowship Director
Cedric.Dark@bcm.edu

Curriculum

Fellows work approximately 20 hours per week clinically at our training sites, which may include Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, Ben Taub Hospital, and Texas Children’s Hospital.

The trainee will be provided a series of didactic lectures during the first half of the fellowship by health policy faculty.
The trainee will attend monthly journal clubs.
The trainee will attend lunch-and-learn sessions with emergency medicine health policy leaders and, on occasion, local elected officials.
The trainee will engage in experiential learning during the second half of the fellowship.
- Prior trainees have worked with government affairs at the Harris County Medical Society (HCMS), the Harris County Public Health Department, and the City of Houston Public Health Department.

The trainee is expected to submit one publishable scholarly project during their training, such as a poster submission to an emergency medicine conference.

The trainee will be expected to teach resident didactics at least once during their training year.
The trainee will have the option of serving as a teaching assistant for medical school electives in health policy offered by the department.

The trainee will be an active participant with the Texas College of Emergency Physicians (TCEP) as a TCEP Leadership and Advocacy Fellow and participate in the national American College of Emergency Physicians annual Council meeting.
The trainee will be encouraged to become involved with the Texas Medical Association and HCMS; during the Texas legislative session, past trainees have testified in front of the legislature on behalf of HCMS.
Additional educational opportunities are available at Rice University’s Baker Institute Policy Leadership Program.