The roots of physician leadership can take form in many areas, and developing demonstrable leadership skills can be an important part of shaping one’s future in residency and clinical practice. For medical students, one such field is organized medicine.
In a recent panel discussion held as part of the 2024 AMA Future Physicians Summit, a group of young physicians shared their thoughts on the leadership lessons they learned through their involvement with the AMA during medical school. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from these his AMA members.
Values shape leadership
Values shape leadership
Sophia Spadafore, MD, now an emergency physician and health policy researcher at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, said leadership opportunities come and go, but values should guide you.
“What I learned early on and have tried to stick to is to never compromise my values or who I am by trying to fit in with my ambitions, what I want to do, or an organization.” the doctor said. Spadafore said.
Rather than seeing their opportunities as medical students as an opportunity to build connections or move up the medical hierarchy, she urges medical students to “do something for yourself and stay true to your values.” I recommend it. Please join us. Say “yes” to the things you want to do, what will serve you, and what will move you forward, and “no” to the rest. If you lead with your values and want to make the world a better place and change things for the better through your involvement, everything you do It will move you towards that goal. ”
extend a helping hand
extend a helping hand
Throughout his career as a physician, Dr. David Lee found that many leaders were willing to “reach out from above” and help. As medical students advance in their careers and the field of organized medicine, he encourages them to give back. “It teaches you some level of awareness that you are a person who can help people, and there is an opportunity to open doors for those who come after you and those you work with.” ,” Dr. Lee said. Fellow in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at Northwestern University. In her interactions with her young peers, she asks, “How can I help?” How can you make sure you’re in the best position you want? How can you make sure you have access to opportunities that might be useful to you? ”
“It’s really empowering to be an advocate for people when they don’t otherwise feel empowered to talk about things or take action on their own,” Dr. Lee said.
think beyond one’s position
think beyond one’s position
Medical students may not have reached the pinnacle of clinical knowledge or ability, but they can be agents of change. When Anupriya Dayal, M.D., director of radiation oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, was a member of the medical student division, she discovered the power that medical students have to lead from the bottom up.
Several of her classmates at the Medical College of Wisconsin failed the now-defunct Step 2 CS exam, formerly part of the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam Series, at the end of their fourth year of training. I learned that.
“There was a sense of panic among student groups and the medical school itself,” Dr. Dayal said. “We went to the House of Delegates of the Wisconsin Medical Society and passed a resolution that the USMLE Step 2CS should not be required for American medical school graduates who have already taken the in-service exam and any type of OSCE.” [objective structural clinical exam]. Now, several years later, USMLE Step 2 CS is no longer required.
“The ability to think laterally can sometimes feel suppressed by traditional medical training, but always keep finding ways to use it, because it will serve you well throughout your life,” Dr. Dayal says. said.
