What a Difference a Day Makes

In September, I went on a whirlwind trip to Washington DC. I spent a day and a half in my nation's capitol, to visit Congressional offices and talk about the importance medical research. Almost 300 people were part of the Rally for Medical Research, all with the same message: Now is the time for Congress to come together and support the NIH with continued funding for medical research. We had training on how to deliver our message, and a reception with talks by Dr. Francis Collins and Senator Dick Durbin before being unleashed on Capitol Hill to attend our meetings. AAAS was kind enough to facilitate my involvement with this opportunity.

Thirty-six hours in DC, meetings in seven different offices, could that possibly make a difference? I've been asked many times since returning: Did you make a difference? As a graduate student, I have many, possibly naive ideas about making an impact and changing the world. I want help people live better, healthier lives, and leave the world in better shape than I found it. This might be through my own disease-curing research, or it might be by convincing one more member of Congress to sign a bill that supports NIH funding, thereby helping others with their own research.

As a researcher, I think about disease in a very specific way. I think about it mechanistically. I ponder why a mutation in one gene can throw off an entire system. I want to know how and why this happens. Patients with various medical problems also attended the Rally for Medical Research. They think about diseases differently. Patients and their families have to live with a disease. Interacting with someone who has survived a severe brain tumor pulls the science out of the Petri dish and puts it into a person. Interacting with patients and survivors is a stark reminder of the ultimate goal of medical research – to help people. These patients, along with patient advocates, and other researchers were part of our group that spent the day talking to members of Congress about how continued NIH funding is needed.

But can one day of conversations change anything? We spoke with the decision-makers who seem far away, but who directly impact our lives. Our government is made up of individuals, making individual decisions. As a voter, it is my right and my responsibility to let them know which decisions are important to me. One conversation may not change anyone's mind. However, each conversation is part of a larger movement. A small, steady voice can have as much impact as a single loud one. I view this trip as part of a continuing message, and not a single event.

This is why advocacy is important. Legislators have to take into account the views of many constituents. If one group don't speak up about an issue that matters to them, a different group will. The onus is on the voter to let their views be known. Washington DC is a fast-paced town, and issues can quickly be forgotten. We need to remind Congress which issues matter to us.

So did a day make a difference? It did for me, and I hope it does for the future of funding for medical research.