Flattered, surprised, and thrilled were the immediate feelings I had after being informed of my new role as the president-elect of the UVM College of Medicine Student Council! Shortly thereafter, a deluge of thoughts of what the next two years would look like entered my mind. Prior to starting medical school, my work in education and community organizing reinforced the importance of creating space and freedom for individuals to feel comfortable purely as themselves, unburdened by the external pressures we are all subject to. Whether it was in a classroom or a community center, it was there that I began to witness the benefits that this small metaphorical space provided for the people around me. In that space, people felt comfortable expressing their concerns and began to vocalize resources that they needed. As a result, we could align our efforts towards meeting those needs, a process that I found incredibly rewarding. The joy I receive from influencing positive change in the community has stayed with me throughout medical school, and feeds the enthusiasm I have for taking on my new role as president-elect.
I am also excited to become more involved with classmates, other medical students, faculty members, and the Burlington community at large. Leadership qualities I’ve learned from several role models will certainly help with my work as president-elect. The role models who successfully connected community members with the tools they needed listened carefully to those around them. They also got involved in people’s lives in a variety of different capacities. Those role models have helped me realize the importance of remaining connected and staying involved, especially in a career field like medicine which demands much of our time. Lending an ear to listen and a voice to express the concerns of my colleagues are leadership qualities that I am excited to share.
I am incredibly grateful to everyone for having confidence in my ability to uphold the responsibilities of this position and will continue to do my best to remain accessible. I look forward to creating an environment that allows us all to continue to develop our interests, excel with our careers as medical students, and to provide opportunities for us to continue to grow interpersonally. While I have my own ideas on how to create change, I welcome thoughts, opinions and feedback from everyone here and cannot wait to get started!
Dan, congrats on being elected President of the class!! Excellent work! I am very proud of you! Good luck in everything!!