University of Virginia Health System

Physicians and other health professionals are often thrust into the role of community leaders, especially when health emergencies arise. Leadership is a quality developed through your interpersonal and organizational skills. These are qualities that can serve you well both personally and professionally and in a health care setting. A major aspect of becoming a health professional is your desire to reach out to assist others in a meaningful way. People who seek these kind of experiences should strive to be comfortable with themselves, build strong communication skills (written and oral), seek opportunities to work with and relate to others in one-on-one situations and on a team, and present themselves with confidence. Your efforts in making good solid decisions may be the one characteristic you display that identifies you as a potential leader.

Listed below are a few strategies for further development of interpersonal and leadership skills. While these activities are recommended, they do not compensate for a lower grade point average.

• Hold office in student organizations.

• Plan health conferences and workshops.

• Implement student government policy.

• Promote health awareness of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.

• Participate in campus groups (e.g., intramural and intercollegiate sports, choirs, Big Brother/Big Sister programs).

• Plan and/or conduct ethnic and multicultural programs.

• Be a resident and/or peer advisor (orientation and school year).

• Participate in research forums.

• Provide tutoring to peers and younger students.

• Organize programs for youth and elderly (i.e., tutoring, reading).

• Be a coach for youth sports teams and camps.

• Return to local schools to give motivational talks and provide information about college and health careers.

• Participate in the Scouts.

• Work with the homeless, shelters for victims of domestic violence, shut-ins, and soup kitchens.

• Work on emergency hot-lines for teens and runaways.

• Work on church-sponsored projects.

• Work for home rehabilitation projects (e.g., Habitat for Humanity).

• Do volunteer work for health care facilities, hospice, AIDS support organizations, and other non-profit agencies and organizations.

• Do volunteer work for political parties.

• Achieve supervisory positions.

• Participate in the military (e.g., ROTC, Active Duty, Reserves).

• Be a camp counselor.

• Participate in Outward Bound.

• Work as a firefighter for the National Park Service.

Return to Advising Manual Table of Contents

Return to OSASSP Home