The Maternal and Child Health Leadership Training Program has provided me with incredible opportunities to grow as both a leader and a person. I desired to become part of this program, as I will be attending medical school in the fall, and it is often difficult to feel like a leader within the early stages of medical training. My ultimate goal is to ensure, through patient care and policy advocacy, that my patients and patients everywhere have the access to the care they need and desire. I wanted to build skills that will allow me to have fruitful discussions with my teachers and superiors about how to effectively address the needs and desires of our patients. This program helped me to develop skills in leading as part of a team, effectively negotiating between conflicting points of view, and leveraging my experiences and knowledge in discussions of policy. Each of these skills will be invaluable to my future as a physician and advocate.
A core element of this program was hearing from leaders in the Maternal and Child Health field about their experiences and how they found success leading others. These discussions, along with being surrounded by students with diverse strengths and experiences, helped me to broaden my mindset about what it means to be a leader. These seminars helped me to realize that I can be a leader, even when I am not in a traditional leadership position. Each individual who led a seminar in this program had their own leadership style and lessons they learned along the way to becoming a successful leader. Some of the significant takeaways I learned from these individuals are the importance of working alongside those I lead, the importance of empathy, and the importance of self-care.
I am excited to take these skills and lessons with me as I begin my medical education and advocate for the best possible patient care. Team-based learning and working and team management are critical components of medicine, and I am extremely grateful that this program has helped me to develop my own identity within a team as both a supportive leader and an effective team member. I look forward to exercising the confidence I have gained in advocating for myself and others, even when I am not in a traditional leadership role.
The Leadership Training Program has equipped me with a robust skill set and confidence that will be invaluable as both a graduate with a Master’s of Public Health and as a future physician and advocate.