How Important Are Leadership Positions?

apumic
Sun, 04 Apr 2010 16:53:26 +0000

^It can be done. However, your question is exactly why such an accomplishment would be so unique. If it were something any premed could accomplish (especially in the 3-month period most pre-meds seem to think a reasonable “commitment” should last) or one for which you do not have to ask “how the…?!?” it would almost certainly be just another thing that premeds “check off their list.” Something like what I described requires:
-Awesome leadership skills
-Years of commitment
-Connections within the target community (could be built over the years by a committed outsider, although someone native to that community obviously would hold the advantage here – one reason URMs are looked upon so favorably, since they have potential here)
-Connections in the medical field (could also be built over a few years of effort by one with the ambition to do it, although those w/ family already in the medical field are at an obvious advantage here)
-Great multicultural sensitivity (URMs may have an advantage here…)
-A need (this is already out there in and/or near just about every medium to large community in the U.S. for anyone ambitious enough to take it on…)
…And so on.