Preparing Students for Community Leadership
Physicians are expected to be leaders in their communities
and they are frequently sought after by nonprofit agencies. But
students often graduate from medical school ill-prepared for these
future community roles.
IUSM offers students a unique opportunity to learn these skills
through its Community Leadership Mentor Program (CLMP). The program
began in 1999 when Patricia A. Keener, MD, assistant dean for medical
service-learning, had a serendipitous conversation about her experiences
on community boards with then-sophomore medical student Sara Palecek
Ross, MD, who volunteered to develop a program to mentor future
community leaders. Working in partnership with the United Way of
Central Indiana, Ross and the Office of Medical Service-Learning
staff formed the CLMP; today it involves about 60 students.
In their first year, participating students attend a series of
five training sessions covering issues such as trustee responsibility,
leadership skills and fiscal oversight. “Each session is interactive,”
says second-year student Stephanie Cohen, who co-chairs the program
with fellow second-year student Susan McDowell. “It gets us
thinking about what makes a good leader – it isn’t just
about taking charge.”
During the second year, students make site visits to three nonprofit
partner agencies of the United Way of Central Indiana. The students
meet with the executive director or a board member who provides
them with an overview of that particular organization.
In their last two years, students choose one of the agencies they
visited and become more involved by attending their board and committee
meetings. Students are asked to use active observation to test what
they learned in their training sessions and see how it applies to
their chosen agency.
In their final year of medical school, students reflect on what
they have learned and its relevance to their professional and personal
futures. Dr. Keener encourages the graduates of the program to notify
her when they are ready to become involved in their communities.
She then writes a letter to the local United Way to notify them
of the presence of a potential community leader.
“Through this program I can actually get involved with the
community,” says McDowell. “For me, that is far more
satisfying than just writing a check.”
|
