Northeast Region
National Vice President of External Affairs, 2021-2022
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MS4-2022
What are your biggest takeaways from serving with LMSA this year?
I had the privilege to work with so many fantastic, talented members on our External Committee. My biggest takeaway was that in order to encourage good communication and energetic engagement in projects, you have to be careful to exercise the strengths of each individual team member. Take care to make sure everyone’s viewpoint is listened to and respected. For individual projects, everyone should buy into the vision even if there is compromise involved. Be kind to each other and we can take care of our community together; by being conscientious and purposeful, we can find the sweet spot where we can grow together.
What advice do you have for those pursuing LMSA leadership in the future, or just leadership opportunities in general?
Firstly, talk to as many people as possible about the positions that you are interested in. You want as many perspectives as possible to create an accurate representation of the path ahead, what your timeline might be, and what your personal goals for the role should be. Understand the basic expectations for your role so you can preparer pitches for how you are going to transform it. Once you are within the role, communicate regularly with your team and keep the ball bouncing on projects. Small steps take us on long journeys.
What does your career in medicine look like to you?
I feel a strong sense of duty to care for everyone’s human experience. I want to support my patients’ quality of life, whether this means alleviating physical or mental suffering. For me, being a good physician means striving to be compassionate with patients, family members, teammates, and our communities. My first step is to be a good clinician (be kind), then a good researcher (be curious), then a good educator (be giving), and then a change agent (be yourself) in whichever way you feel you can give back.
Comments