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What is Doctors for America (DFA)?
DFA is a national nonprofit [501(c)3] that mobilizes over 40,000 physicians and medical trainees to advocate for policies that improve the health of patients and communities.
Through advocacy training and action at the state and federal levels, DFA works to expand access to affordable care, strengthen community health and prevention efforts, and advance health justice and equity.
We do not accept funding from pharmaceutical, insurance, or for-profit health care entities, ensuring our work remains fiercely independent and patient-centered. DFA puts patients over politics - and over profits.
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- Because your voice matters and DFA helps amplify it: Physicians are trusted messengers. When you speak, policymakers listen. DFA gives you the tools, training, and national platform to turn your clinical experience into meaningful influence on health policy.
- Because patients need advocates now more than ever: From reproductive health restrictions to attacks on public health, gun violence, drug pricing, and insurance barriers - patients are being harmed by decisions made far outside the exam room. DFA helps clinicians fight for evidence-based policies that protect patients’ health, safety, and dignity.
- Because advocacy doesn’t have to be overwhelming: DFA provides ready-to-use resources, media training, op-ed coaching, rapid response opportunities, and mentorship so clinicians can engage effectively - even with limited time.
- Because you’ll be part of a powerful community: With more than 42,000 physician and trainee advocates, DFA is a national network united by shared values: science, equity, compassion, and justice. You’ll connect with like-minded colleagues who inspire, support, and collaborate with you.
- Because DFA is nonpartisan and independent: DFA takes no funding from industry and does not participate in political campaigns. Our work is grounded in one principle: Patients Over Politics. You can advocate confidently knowing the mission is rooted in science and ethics - not partisanship.
- Because it’s a chance to make systemic impacts beyond individual patient care:
- Influence legislation
- Shape health equity initiatives
- Improve healthcare access
- Fight misinformation
- Protect evidence-based medicine
- Advance the future of healthcare for your profession and your patients
- Because trainees gain early, meaningful leadership opportunities: Medical students and residents can lead campaigns, publish op-eds, testify, and join national committees, experiences that build confidence, CV strength, and lifelong advocacy skills.
- Because change doesn’t happen on its own: Clinicians have the credibility, expertise, and moral authority to steer the country toward a healthier future. DFA helps turn that potential into real progress.
Paid membership is open to physicians, medical students, residents/fellows, and other clinical professionals committed to advancing health equity, including nurse practitioners, PAs, and public health clinicians.
We also welcome impassioned individuals who share our belief that everyone deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care. Through the DFA Advocate tier, supporters and allies can become dues-paying members, access select benefits, and help power our national advocacy.Anyone - member or not - can stay engaged by signing up for updates, volunteering, or participating in advocacy actions. When more voices join the movement, our collective impact grows.
Becoming a DFA member is simple. Choose the membership tier that fits you, your annual dues directly supports our advocacy, member resources, and national programming. After joining, you will gain access to exclusive benefits like CME opportunities, member networking tools, discounts, training programs, and more.
Not ready for paid membership yet? You can still take action with DFA by joining an Impact Area, signing up for newsletters, and attending select public events.
Members enjoy:
- Connection with a community of peers committed to health access and equity.
- Mentorship and leadership training opportunities.
- Access to curated resources, including issue briefs, advocacy toolkits, webinars, and campaign updates.
- Invitations to national conferences, workgroups, and local chapter events.
- Opportunities to serve as a public voice for health equity through legislative testimony at the federal and state level, media engagement, and community leadership.
Doctors for America isn’t a trade association or a medical professional society, we’re something different by design.
- We’re a grassroots movement, powered by clinicians who want to create change and educate policymakers and the public.
- We put patients and communities at the center, focusing on health justice, access, and equity - not just practice-related concerns.
- We complement, not compete with, other medical societies, often partnering with them to amplify shared priorities.
- We equip clinicians to be changemakers, providing training, community, and a platform to influence public health, policy, and the systems that shape care.
DFA is where clinicians come together to turn their values into action.
Doctors for America is funded through a mix of individual contributions, foundation grants, and yearly paid memberships, each playing a vital role in sustaining our work. Individual donors make up about 16% of our annual budget.
Every dollar you give goes directly toward powering clinician advocacy nationwide. Donations support:
- Our national staff and core infrastructure, ensuring we can mobilize quickly and effectively
- Advocacy tools and training, from policy briefings to media skills workshops
- State and specialty chapter networks, connecting clinicians doing frontline advocacy
- Events and convenings, including our National Leadership Conference
- Communications and rapid-response work, helping clinicians speak clearly and credibly in the public arena
- Volunteer and fellowship programs, which grow the next generation of physician-advocate
Your support strengthens the capacity of clinicians to shape the policies that determine whether patients get the care they need. It truly makes a difference.
DFA mobilizes advocates around key policy issues, including expanding health coverage, addressing racial and economic health disparities, strengthening the public-health workforce, protecting reproductive rights, and responding to public-health emergencies. Our advocates testify before legislators, write op-eds, engage media, and organize community events to drive systemic change. Across all of this work, DFA empowers clinicians to translate frontline experience into meaningful, systemic change.
Involvement includes:
- National webinars and calls focused on timely health-policy updates and action steps.
- “Calls to action” via email, such as contacting decision-makers or organizing local events.
- Training sessions on leadership, communications, media advocacy, and organizing.
- Peer collaboration through state chapters or working groups.
- Public engagement, including op-eds, testimony, and local speaking opportunities.
DFA chapters are state- or region-based networks of clinicians who organize local campaigns and events. Chapters give members the opportunity to engage with community health leaders, legislators, and advocacy partners in their area. You can join an existing chapter or contact our staff to start one in your state.
No. A donation is not required to become a paid member. However, DFA paid membership does include annual dues, which unlock full benefits such as CME opportunities, member discounts, and access to our national advocacy network.If you prefer not to become a dues-paying member, you can still stay involved by subscribing to updates, participating in campaigns, and attending select public events - your advocacy makes an impact no matter how you engage.
DFA allows you to tailor your involvement to what works for your schedule. Some advocates participate by joining national calls or responding to action alerts, while others take on leadership roles by driving local campaigns, hosting events, or representing DFA in the media. Every level of engagement matters, even a few minutes a month can make a difference.
Yes. DFA organizes regular webinars, leadership workshops, and a biennial national conference that brings together members, policymakers, and advocates. These events are opportunities to connect, learn new advocacy skills, and celebrate progress in advancing health equity.
Absolutely. Medical students are a vital part of DFA’s community. There are medical student leaders at all levels of DFA, including our board of directors. In addition, many chapters have student leaders who help organize campus events, promote advocacy training, and connect with local mentors. DFA also offers programs tailored to early-career development, along with an affordable paid membership option specifically for medical students.
Our programs and advocacy efforts are focused solely on the United States. However, we welcome international supporters who share our mission of equitable, high-quality health care.
We’d love to hear from you! Visit our Contact page to reach our team, or connect with us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. For media inquiries, please use the dedicated contact form listed on the Media Inquiries page.
