Teaching Advanced Leadership Skills in Community Service (ALSCS) to medical students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Leadership Development

Background:

• Healthcare systems face crises due to inadequate access, lack of insurance, and health disparities.
• Physician training must include leadership skills alongside clinical expertise to address these systemic issues.
• Existing undergraduate medical curricula lack models for integrating leadership training with community service.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an innovative selective for medical students focused on developing leadership skills.
• To address the identified shortage of leadership training models for medical students.
• To emphasize the integration of leadership competencies with practical community service opportunities.

Main Methods:

• The Advanced Leadership Skills in Community Service (ALSCS) selective was developed and implemented.
• The curriculum integrates classroom-based learning, practical skill application, and service learning.
• The program targets medical students, aiming to enhance their leadership capabilities.

Main Results:

• Over 60 medical students have participated in the selective.
• Participants demonstrated increased self-efficacy in leadership dimensions like fundraising, networking, and motivating others.
• Students successfully completed over a dozen leadership and community service projects.

Conclusions:

• The ALSCS selective provides an effective model for leadership skill development in medical students.
• This innovative course can positively impact leadership skill acquisition and be integrated into medical school curricula.
• Enhancing physician leadership is crucial for addressing healthcare disparities and improving health systems.