Surgeon as advocate: A widening lane

Abstract

Surgeons have traditionally engaged in advocacy focused on the practice of surgery, addressing issues like payment reform and regulatory policies. However, rising societal challenges and global shifts have underscored the need for surgeons to expand their advocacy scope beyond the operating room. Surgeon-advocates are uniquely positioned to leverage their expertise to influence public discourse, inform key stakeholders, and champion solutions to pressing social issues. A contemporary approach to surgical care necessitates integrating advocacy to address the whole patient within their social context. Despite increased interest among medical students and trainees, advocacy is rarely recognized as a viable career pathway, limiting systematic support and incentive structures. Introducing mentorship programs, dedicated curricula, and advocacy tracks during surgical training could attract motivated individuals to the profession while equipping them to influence policy and societal change. Emphasizing advocacy not as indoctrination but as skill-building empowers surgeons to widen their lanes responsibly. Failure to integrate advocacy into surgical career development risks missing a pivotal opportunity to advance equitable care, inspire transformative impact, and ensure surgeons' voices in critical policymaking processes. Recognizing the importance of advocacy in the surgical field is essential-not for staying in a predetermined lane, but for effectively addressing the complex societal and multidisciplinary challenges of our era.