Periodically, CAP Advocacy will feature one of the many CAP members who are champions for pathology in Washington through their PathPAC donations or at the state level through our grassroots and PAC programs. If you would like to get involved, you can join PathNET, contribute to PathPAC, or join your state pathology society.

Recently Advocacy Update caught up with newly appointed PathPAC board member Clare Bryce, MD, FCAP, an Associate Professor of Pathology at the Icahn School of Medicine and Director of Autopsy Services at the Mount Sinai Hospital New York.

What drove you to get involved in advocacy?

Several of my CAP mentors have always stressed how important advocacy is for our profession, including Leilani Valdes, MD, FCAP; Kalisha Hill, MD, FCAP; CAP Secretary-Treasurer Rick Gomez, MD, FCAP; and Sam Caughron, MD, FCAP; among others. Now that I have five years of surgical pathology practice under my belt, I feel like it is a perfect time to help give back to our profession through advocacy.

Do you have a favorite memory or experience that stands out in your advocacy work?

My first Hill Day in association with the CAP Policy Meeting was such a fantastic experience. It made me proud of my country, the democratic process, and my profession to make our voices heard. I had a great mentor with Dr. Rick Gomez, who showed the way so that helped calm my nerves, as I’m an introvert pathologist, so this was initially out of my comfort zone!!

What advice would you give to your colleagues to be effective advocates?

Do what you can.

If you can’t or don’t feel comfortable advocating in DC, give to the PathPAC or communicate your legislators on a grass roots level. We need people advocating for pathology on all fronts, both in their home states and in DC.

If you have an interest in advocating personally, sign up for the Pathologist Leadership Summit. The speakers and more experienced CAP members will guide you along the way.

If you can’t go to the Pathologist Leadership Summit and don’t know how or what to do to get involved, contact one of the CAP Federal and State Affairs committee members. We are always looking for enthusiastic pathologists to work with us!!

Have you ever done a laboratory tour? If so, was there anything that surprised you or are there any tips you would like to share with your colleagues?

No. But I would love to do one in the future.

Why did you choose to donate to the PathPAC?

Supporting advocacy for our specialty, both monetarily and through volunteer service, is a professionalism issue. If you want to be a professional, you must make legislators know how and why your work is so important to the US and their constituents (also known as “our patients”).