Sung Kim, MD         Ryan Tegtmeier, MD

CA-3 Sung Kim, MD, and rising CA-1 Ryan Tegtmeier, MD, recently attended the ASA Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., which provides anesthesiologists and trainees the opportunity to speak with lawmakers about current and anticipated issues facing the specialty.

"It was a great experience to learn about the legislative process and how it impacts health care," Kim says. "This is something you don't learn in medical school or residency."

Tegtmeier says the conference illustrated the importance of practitioners understanding the issues of their profession.

"These issues and how they're handled in Washington don't happen in a vacuum, and they have a real, substantive impact on our profession and our patients," he says."I encourage everyone to be more engaged in any way you can."

The ASA Legislative Conference is an annual event that educates members about the society's legislative priorities and recent developments in health care legislation and regulation, in addition to giving attendees the opportunity to meet with elected officials.