Medical education is in the eye of public policy makers more than ever before. Many forces contribute to the interest of policy makers in medical education, including public awareness of how policies can affect access to and quality of clinical care. Governmental legislatures are getting more involved in medical education policy, with less acceptance of the profession's autonomy. Professional societies are not positioned to respond optimally to governmental involvement in medical education policy due to limited resources, poor coordination, and competing concerns. To urge leaders in medicine to strengthen their voice in public policy on medical education, I review educational issues that have recently received attention in the policy arena, and what professional societies have focused on. I highlight strengths and weaknesses of how professional societies have addressed public policy on medical education, and suggest opportunities for strengthening the voice of the medical community.