Vote Rx: An Advocacy Prescription for Residency Programs

Pediatricians have a responsibility to vote because decisions made by the government have a large effect on both the children we serve and the way we practice medicine. Unfortunately, voter turnout by doctors is less than the general population, although this trend has been improving. To encourage pediatric residents to vote, we assessed barriers to voting and then implemented interventions to overcome these barriers. Using designated voting schedules, informational sessions, and frequent reminders of voting dates, we saw nearly 100% voter participation of respondents in the 2020 and 2022 elections. Residency programs can make voting more feasible for their residents with simple, easy to implement interventions.