Breast Cancer Advocacy Internship - Article Example

Breast Cancer Advocacy Internship This report is about a study done on an internship in advocacy training by a group in the helping professions. Students were subjected to a three-day seminar on advocacy training in which they learned the procedures for advocacy as well as intermingled with other professionals, lawmakers, and breast cancer awareness advocates, many of whom were also breast cancer patients and survivors. The study supports that internship in advocacy training is beneficial to students in that it helps make theoretical principles more understandable when applied practically, as well as giving students a chance to view the situation from many perspectives.

They discovered the roles of professional and political collaboration and overall felt empowered to make a difference in their careers. Breast Cancer Advocacy Internship A study on breast cancer advocacy training supported a need for students ‘to become politically active professionals who participate in organizations that not only assist them professionally but which affect the health and well-being of the communities in which they live and serve.’ This study revealed that many students had an increased sense of connection to the issue of breast cancer prevention and awareness through advocacy training.

They developed a sense of empowerment in being able to impact the issue through political awareness and advocacy action. This study made them more aware of real-life practical applications of what they were theoretically learning inside the classrooms. It gave the students a chance to explore innovative approaches to the dilemma, as well as become professionally aware of the collaboration needed among the professional and political community. More than anything, students developed a sense of urgency and a need to become actively involved in the issues surrounding breast cancer awareness, prevention, and research in their own communities.

“Through the NBCC, advocates nationwide have joined to create an increase in annual federal funding for breast cancer research by more than 800%, from less than $200 million before 1991 to more than $14 billion in 2005.” This shows the impact that advocacy has on particular health issues by becoming informed on legislation and public awareness and participation, students feel they can move outside the classroom to apply theoretical learning to practical applications. They felt a sense of heightened reality and empowerment through being able to impact the situation through involvement.

Through attending legislative conferences and advocacy training, students became more aware of their feelings, fears, and ways they could, as professionals, impact breast cancer awareness, prevention, and research. It was a hands-on approach to the theoretical classroom approach. Each member of the study group had a personal connection to breast cancer; therefore the advocacy training educated them in ways they could also help assist the people they are involved with. “Post-internship, students reported that the top two benefits of their participation were that (1) it enriched the college learning experience, and (2) it was relevant to personal growth.

” The students gained insight into the professional picture of breast cancer awareness and prevention. They learned that it wasn’t just a clinical picture, but also involved an extensive network of policies and procedures, funding for research, and the actual legislative process involved in providing for health care matters in this country. The students also developed a sense of urgency in doing something to impact the situation with intentions for professional collaboration to make a difference where possible.

Some students had intentions for changing their careers to include becoming lifelong advocates through political awareness. “Faculty cannot assume that because students are in a ‘helping profession’ that they are automatically programmed to be an advocate.” This is a significant realization because all too often academia takes the theoretical approach with very little real-life experience. The participants of this study were able to actually be involved in the real experience of what people with breast cancer live with on a daily basis and need from the professional community in the way of advocacy and professional collaboration with the political community.

It put a face on breast cancer advocacy, helping to make it real, and causing human compassion to rise up in the students as they joined many breast cancer patients and survivors in the training. They had to learn realistically what was involved through advocacy training in order to enrich their educational experience in the helping professions. It helped them to feel empowered to make a difference; giving them innovative approaches to funding and professional collaboration.