Com Team Leader Analysis

1) Describe the leadership qualities you possess that would make you a good COM Team Co-Chair to a first year student.

One of the most valuable characteristics that would allow me to serve well as a COM Team Co-Chair is my ability to represent myself as a positive role model. As a youth gymnastics coach for four years, and peer tutor in the University of South Carolina Student Success Center throughout college, I took on a role as a motivator and encourager. I led my students with an enthusiastic and motivating attitude, while demonstrating a professional demeanor, exercising communication skills throughout.
I also possess important organizational and problem solving skills that would be necessary in serving as a Co Chair. I demonstrated these skills during my experience as the vice president of the Club
Gymnastics Team at the University of South Carolina. This responsibility entailed setting practice schedules, communicating with gymnastics league officials, and managing the social media for the club, all while collaborating with members of the group and other officers. I also served as a collegiate intramural soccer captain. I was successful in these roles as I was an active listener and exercised mutual respect when working with a group to achieve a common goal. I became more proficient in giving, and more importantly, receiving feedback and constructive criticism.
As a student in college, I was involved in multiple organizations, participated in club sports, and had a job all while maintaining my studies. Juggling those experiences fostered the time management skills that are important in serving as a Co-Chair.

2) Do you have any mentoring or tutoring experience? If yes, provide detail.
I served as a tutor in the Student Success Center at the University of South Carolina for 3 years. I became College Reading and Learning Association certified after taking the course and meeting the qualifications for completion. While holding this position I provided individualized instruction and skill development to a diverse population of students in Anatomy and Physiology. I implemented study techniques to promote independent learning for students, while motivating them to utilize their full potential to achieve their academic goals. I attended tutor training and development sessions to continually improve my tutoring skills. I maintained strict confidentially of all student information, material, and discussions shared in the tutoring relationship. This job helped me realize how much I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others and helping them gain confidence. As a tutor, I served as a mentor and questions were asked warranting advice not only on the subject at hand, but also in a broader sense with regards to future planning and personal subjects. Being a tutor afforded me the experience of balancing friendship and a professional relationship.

I served as an Admitted Student’s Day leader at the University of South Carolina. During admitted Students Day, I would act as a mentor sharing my experience at USC as a student of the School of Public Health with students that were admitted, but not yet committed, to the university. I sat as a student panel member in an auditorium of about 100 admitted students and their parents while they asked any questions they had about the school or the program specifically. After the question and answer session, many families approached me for further discussion. I developed strong rapport with prospective students and their families by offering real, honest answers and useful advice. This experience allowed me to practice public speaking skills a few times each year. I thoroughly enjoyed helping people discover what was truly best for them and easing nerves or addressing any concerns. I offered the perspective of a relatable, fun, yet very successful student at the university.

3) Have you participated in extra-curricular activities at MUSC? If yes, provide detail.
As a student at MUSC I am a member of the pediatrics, internal medicine, and emergency medicine interest groups. I am also a member of American Medical Women’s Association, American Medical Association, and the Student National Medical Association. I participate in many of the activities organized by these groups including hands on workshops and guest speaker appearances. I also take the Caring for the Community course and volunteer at the CARES clinic regularly.

4) Briefly describe your experience with COM Team as a first year student. Do you have any suggestions for orientation next year if you are chosen as a co-chair?
I feel so fortunate because my COM Team is full of supportive peers that I know I can go to for anything.
We have the perfect mixture of a fun yet professional environment and I know I have grown so much as a result of my experiences with my COM team. I have developed lasting relationships with my team members and have had amazing preceptors as well. My COM team leaders are so relatable and full of insight. They possess a perfect amount of honesty and encouragement in regards to how tough, yet exciting the first year of medical school can be. They are always very eager to answer any questions or address any concerns that we have and this stretched beyond orientation week. I have become friends with my COM leaders throughout the course of this year. As a result of my experience in my COM team and orientation, I knew I wanted to be involved in the COM orientation process for future students. I know that I can be a relatable and positive role model for incoming medical students. As the role of the Co-Chairs became evident, I realized that I wanted to be a part of the great responsibility of organizing and planning orientation, as well as leading the COM team
leaders.
As a Co-Chair I would love to suggest the incorporation of an initial presentation that explains the demographics of the incoming class including sex, age, race, ethnicity, average MCAT score, average GPA, and hometown. I know that I would have been very interested in this information as an incoming medical student. I would also like to suggest placing more emphasis on family or significant other involvement during an orientation event. While we do have an event open to families, it is heavily catered towards husbands and wives of medical students. There are many unmarried students that have very different support systems that I believe would benefit from a medical school overview informational session. I know many students who wanted to involve their upcoming support systems in my class, however felt apprehensive about doing so because of what was accepted as the norm, and a lack of emphasis on family involvement. Support during medical school is such an important component of a students well being, therefore I think that placing more of an emphasis on family involvement in a specific orientation event would be beneficial. The first few days of orientation are an intimidating time before members of small groups feel comfortable with one another. I would like to propose an activity in which students anonymously submit questions or concerns into a bin, and then COM leaders draw them one by one and address them. We were able to ask our COM leaders questions verbally, and while I was not apprehensive about asking questions, there were definitely people in my small group that I believe would have benefitted from a question and answer session in which the anxiety of speaking in front of the group was eliminated.