Advocating for reproductive justice and access to healthcare can feel daunting, especially in a state like Texas. However, medical societies such as the Texas Medical Association (TMA) offer a meaningful avenue for medical students and physicians to push for change. Through this process, our team wrote and advocated for a resolution to reform sex education in Texas public schools. That effort ultimately led to TMA adopting the resolution creating a pathway for future lobbying and policy advocacy.
What is the TMA?
The TMA is the largest state medical society in the country and plays a significant role in shaping healthcare policy at both the state and national levels. It advocates in Austin and Washington, D.C., working to improve policy for physicians and patient care. Importantly, any TMA member, including medical students, can submit a resolution. These resolutions go through multiple rounds of review and revision before being considered by the House of Delegates (HOD). Once adopted, the resolutions help guide lobbying priorities and inform political candidate endorsements.
Uma Reddy’s Inspiration and the First Draft
My interest in this work grew out of advocacy in the sex education space. In 2020, Texas shifted from abstinence-only to abstinence-emphasized sex education, which opened the door to more comprehensive approaches. When I started medical school, I was excited to build programs within this new framework.
That momentum shifted in 2022, when Texas implemented an opt-in model for sex education under the banner of parental rights. This change significantly reduced access for many students. Over the next two years, I worked on sex education programming while also learning more about legislative advocacy. I began to see the TMA as a powerful space where medical voices could support evidence-based policy and advocate for a return to an opt-out model.
When I began my role as an Experienced Student Leader (ESL) in Fall 2025, this became an avenue of advocacy that I wanted to explore more intentionally. Given the number of medical school chapters across Texas and the strength of our student network, it felt like a unique opportunity to coordinate a response effort and advance a resolution that reflected both student interests and public health priorities in the sex education space. I submitted the idea, initially unsure if it would be considered, but once it was accepted, I reached out to the other Texas Medical Students for Choice chapters via our Texas ESL monthly newsletter. This was how I got connected with the co-authors of the resolution, Sanjitha Subramaniam and Elaine Kaster.
From start to finish, the process took about six months, from October 2025 to March 2026. The first step was submitting a proposal to the Medical Student Section (MSS) titled “Addressing Reproductive Health and Education Restrictions for Adolescents and Young People in Texas” and a summary stating that abortion restrictions and current opt-in sex education policies harm adolescents and young people. MSS leadership evaluates ideas based on feasibility, timeliness, novelty, and alignment with TMA’s scope and decides whether to accept or deny resolution proposals.
Once approved, we drafted the resolution using the formal whereas and resolved structure. The whereas clauses build the argument with evidence and citations, while the resolved clauses outline the specific actions being requested. It is a surprisingly rigid format that took time and multiple revisions to understand.
A Journey of Edits
Our draft went through two rounds of detailed feedback from MSS reviewers, who scored it across several categories, including structure, clarity, and research quality. We then revised accordingly and worked to build support across Texas medical schools by sharing drafts of the resolution through the ESL newsletter and encouraging students to contact their delegates for the MSS voting.
The MSS voted in approval of the resolution, and it advanced to the TMA. The resolution was included in materials for TexMed, where it was considered by the Reference Committee before it’s final destination, the House of Delegates (HOD).
Throughout this process, the resolution was amended to reflect considerations around parental rights and to align with existing TMA policy. Some language was softened to make the recommendations more broadly acceptable, including rephrasing opposition to opt-in sex education into support of opt-out sex education.
Elaine Kaster’s Experience Defending the Resolution at the Mic
When a resolution makes it all the way to the Reference Committee at TexMed, open discussion with the committee is welcomed. This opportunity is often sized by authors to provide testimony about their resolution and address criticism. I attended TexMed 2026 to do exactly that.
The Reference Committee is the last round of debate and review of the resolution before it gets sent to the HOD, and usually, the HOD agrees with the Committee’s decision, making the Reference Committee a critical point for resolution approval. With this being my first experience at TexMed, it was a bit challenging to figure out how I could best advocate for the resolution at this committee meeting, but with the help of one of the TMA chapter presidents, I was able to go into the committee meeting with a plan.
Giving testimony about the resolution was a great experience and it was also encouraging to hear from a few physicians who had read the resolution. It was awesome to realize that the resolution was being read and carefully evaluated by physicians from all over the state.
Careful Strategizing
One of the biggest challenges was navigating a politically complex and often conservative environment. We were mindful about how we framed the resolution and chose not to publicly tie it to Medical Students for Choice, although the resolution was shared monthly in our ESL newsletter and was authored by members of MSFC chapters throughout Texas. In the context of Texas, that decision likely helped the resolution be evaluated on its merits rather than its association with pro-choice advocacy.
Another challenge was addressing our state’s strong emphasis on parental rights. This theme came up repeatedly in committee discussions and feedback. Rather than directly opposing that framing, we focused on highlighting the public health consequences of the current opt-in model, specifically how it limits access to education for young people.
The resolution we ultimately passed supports opt-out rather than opt-in sex education and reflects our broader goal of advocating for a return to opt-out models. Although our opposition to opt-in sex education is not explicitly highlighted in the amended resolution, securing support for opt-out sex education through our state medical association represents a meaningful step forward, especially in a context where parental rights rhetoric has become increasingly prominent in recent policy discussions.
Guidance for Shaping Change Through Policy
For students interested in policy advocacy, it is important to first gain an understanding of your state and the medical association within it. A great way to do this is by joining a Resolution Review Committee, which gives you an opportunity to review and provide feedback on resolutions currently in the process of evaluation for potential adoption. Such experience can help you identify gaps in current policy where your work can add meaningful value. Reviewing resolutions with a critical lens also teaches you how to write your resolution to minimize pitfalls that may prevent adoption.
Second, be strategic in your writing, focusing on feasibility. Strong resolutions are actionable, clearly written, and aligned with the organization’s priorities. Broad and flexible language is often more effective than highly specific demands.
Third, build connections. Reach out to physicians, residents, and students with experience in the process. Their insight can make a significant difference. Many of them are also involved in county-level medical societies that make up the larger state medical association. If you can gain their support, they may be able to encourage their county society to support your resolution, which can be influential during committee review. Some may also serve on review or reference committees. If you know faculty or physicians in your area who are involved at that level, reaching out to them can provide especially valuable insight.
Finally, be prepared to adapt. Advocacy in this space is iterative, and success often depends on incorporating feedback while staying focused on your overall goal.
We need more medical students actively advocating for change through policy. You may never feel completely prepared as much of this work is learned through experience, so it is important to step in and get started. Stay persistent and keep your focus on improving the health of your communities.
