Health care is a team sport, and the same can be said of leadership. For medical student, learning the benefits of working cohesively can pay dividends.
But how do leadership and collaboration intersect? A module in the AMA Medical Student Leadership Learning Series aims to answer that question.
“For medical students, being great at your coursework and understanding the science and ‘technical’ aspects of health care delivery are the table stakes” said Ann Manikas, the AMA’s director of organizational development and learning. “The differentiator needed ‘to win’ is having great leadership skills.”
One of five modules to help develop tomorrow’s leaders in health care, the series covers topics such as conflict resolution and collaboration. These 20-minute, interactive modules offer advice, realistic scenarios and printable resources.
Barriers to collaboration
Effective teamwork requires the right environment. The module covers the factors that tend to prohibit a team-centric atmosphere. Among them:
Unclear goals: Identifying goals and setting timelines is the first step in the playbook of collaboration.
Poor communication: Open and clear communication is a must in a cohesive team.
Clashing personalities: Not everyone works the same way. Understanding that and developing cultural competency can go a long way.
Ineffective conflict management: Leaders listen and resolve conflicts. Medical students may be early in their training, but they can serve as both role models and leaders.
Learning to lead
The medical student leadership modules are among the many benefits available exclusively to AMA members. The AMA is with its members every step of the way. For medical students, that means the AMA provides resources to thrive—academically and in charting your career—throughout your four years of undergraduate medical education.
