Leadership Education for Aspiring
Physicians (LEAP)

Leadership Education for Aspiring Physicians (LEAP) is a project-based seminar series designed for Bay Area premedical students seeking structured leadership development while improving community health and wellness.  Successful participants have partnered with peers and community-based institutions or organizations to develop, implement, and evaluate projects aimed at improving health outcomes in a community where they consider themselves to be a member.

This series challenges participants to make a positive impact in their communities as pre-health professionals, providing the skills to lead now and in the future.

Participants attend monthly seminars and working sessions between October and June, concluding with a capstone project that emphasizes health leadership and activism in the domains of service, advocacy, and/or research.

**Please note, as we return to in-person, this year's program will be offered as a hybrid, and curriculum is being modified to reflect that change.

For the 2022-2023 academic year, LEAP will be offered as a hybrid program, October to June with a combination of virtual and in-person meetings. The curriculum is being modified to reflect this critical change.

Premedical and Pre-health students who:

• have an interest or commitment to health equity
• may be in or considering leadership roles on their college campuses or in their communities.
• seek opportunities to engage with other pre-health professionals with similar interests
  
• have an interest in community/population health and health.
• aim to build their co-curricular experiences as a preparatory experience prior to graduate and professional school application
• have an interest in social and structural determinants of health and health disparities
  

Mandatory meetings will be offered during the 2022-2023 academic year with an optional in-person closing session.

Please note: this year's program will not focus on project-based learning and experiences.  

Sessions are held 1-2 Saturdays per month from October to June, 9am - 1pm. Participants will engage in the literature through seminar-style sessions and a small number of guest lectures through a health disparities journal club-style program. receive advising and project planning support for the successful development, implementation, and evaluation of their projects.  

Participants should be able to commit 2 hours each week, on average, throughout the program to complete assignments and work on their projects. Attendance is mandatory with very few exceptions. Interested applicants should attend an online information session to determine if their schedules and other commitments will allow for this intensive program. Registration is required.

• Pre-health professional development and practical skills that you will use throughout your academic and professional career
• Training from an institutional leader in medical student and physician leadership development
• Advisement regarding medical school preparation and the application process
• A certification of participation upon successful completion of the program

The sessions are offered in seminar format, so your preparation and participation is essential. Sessions will vary, however you should expect to meet pre-reading assingments, participate in skill-building exercises, engage with guest speakers if applicable, review health disparities case studies, prepare and submit assignments by the stated deadlines, participate in assessments and organize a capstone presentation that summarizes the skills developed during the seminars over the six-month period.

Sample Sessions

• Social determinants of health
  
• Conducting a Community scan
  
• Local health equity initiatives
  
• Activism and advocacy as writers and pre-professionals
  
• Enacting change by engaging appointed and elected officials
• Ethics and professionalism

• Thursday, September 1, 11:59pm– Application opens
• Thursday, September 29 - Information session (online session, Register in advance for this webinar)
• Friday, October 7 - Application closes
• Saturday, October 8 - Program acceptance notifications
• Saturday, October 15 – Program orientation

Tentative LEAP Session Dates

Following are the tentative dates for LEAP sessions. When you apply you may list any conflicts you anticipate with these session dates IN DETAIL. Special circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis:

• September 29, 7pm - information session (not required, STRONGLY recommended)
• October 15
• October 29
• November 19
• December 3
• January 7
• January 21
• February 4
• February 18
• March 4
• March 18
• April 1
• April 15
• May 13
• June 3- Closing Ceremony and Community Engagement Symposium

You must attend all sessions  and complete all assignments including the capstone project to receive a completion certificate.

CLICK HERE between September 1 and September 30, 2022, to apply. 

Join the Stanford Premedical Leadership Education and Engagement Network (SPLEEN) on Linkedin and continue the discussion!