Georgetown University Medical Center

Doctors Leading DC (DLDC)

Section: Student Groups

Doctors Leading DC (DLDC) is an organization which aims to put "Leadership in Action" through fostering and further developing the leadership skills of its members via service in the DC community.  Members are encouraged to take an active leadership role within the club and to become engaged in developing and organizing various programs and activities which benefit their community.

OFFICERS
Ryan Walsh (rdw22)--Co-President
Sebastian Heersink (sbh4)--Co-President
Allison Lundy--Vice President
Victor Duarte (vmd2)--Vice President
James Andry (jpa7)--Secretary

GOALS OF DOCTORS LEADING DC:  To provide medical students with opportunities to 1) learn about and 2) enact various qualities of LEADERSHIP.

IMPETUS FOR THE CREATION OF DOCTORS LEADING DC:  We feel that medical students and doctors are in a privileged, yet difficult, position in that we are expected, with good reason, to be ethical leaders, political leaders, and professional leaders in our communities.  However, it is not always clear how one is to go about being a leader.  As such, we feel it would be advantageous to offer students an opportunity to explore the various definitions of leadership and the various modes by which one can act as a leader.

MEANS OF ACHIEVING OUR GOALS:  The first of our club's goals, as mentioned above, is to provide medical students with opportunities to learn about qualities of leadership, and, moreover, to learn how to actually be a leader.  We feel that this goal can best be achieved by way of example, that is, by learning from the actions and sentiments of doctors who have already proven to be leaders.  As such, it is our intention to invite doctors (likely 2 per semester) to speak about how they act as leaders in various aspects of their lives.  For example, we might like to invite a doctor who acts as a leader in her religious community through involvement in her church, and perhaps a doctor who acts as a leader in his medical specialty through cutting edge research, and perhaps a doctor who acts as a leader in her community through volunteer work, etc. 

The second of our club's goals takes the notion of leadership a step further by offering medical students the opportunity to enact, or live out, the various qualities of leadership we plan to explore.  We hope to achieve this goal via several routes.  Our first idea is quite simple--in being a club focused on leadership we expect each of our members to actually BE a leader.  This will be accomplished by allowing each member to choose (or, if applicable, "run for") a position of leadership within the club.  This will allow each member 1) to choose their level of involvement within the club, 2) to experience the responsibility which comes with being a leader, and 3) to apply principles of leadership to real-life situations. 

    An additional mode by which we hope to reach our club's second goal is through service.  We think of this as "Leadership in Action" and it would entail the opportunity to participate in service activities (1-3 per semester depending on membership and interest) throughout the D.C. community.  Through such activities medical students will have an opportunity to act as a leader and to serve the community.  Current ideas for service include, a vision-screening and mentoring after-school program, and a Fall Clean-Up day in area neighborhoods.  More ideas will be gained from members, and specific activities will be decided upon by the club as a whole.