By Kaileigh Yen, PharmD
As a new practitioner, interactions with students can be daunting. It is easy to fall into imposter syndrome and think, “What can they learn from me?” As a new practitioner in an academic setting, this is a phrase that I have said to myself time and time again. However, throughout the course of residency, and now fellowship, I realize I can be a resource to students, especially in their leadership skills.
In my short time as a new practitioner, I have precepted students, taught them in classroom settings, and mentored individual students and student groups. Through these experiences, I have discovered I can successfully and effectively help students with leadership skills.
Here are a few ways I have found to successfully and effectively demonstrate leadership skills to students as a new practitioner in any setting.
Lead by example
The simplest way to demonstrate leadership to students is to do exactly that: demonstrate leadership in your actions. Every new practitioner pharmacist is a leader, whether they have an official title or not. Whenever you interact with students, you are acting as a leader. After gaining foundational knowledge, students begin to understand and apply concepts through modeling. This is a critical point in their learning and professional development that we can have a large impact on as new practitioners.
Throughout their educational experiences students observe educators. They are perceptive— students see how you act with all members of different teams, the interpersonal skills you use, and the way you demonstrate your leadership skills, no matter the setting.
As new practitioners, we are modeling what it means to be a professional leader on a pharmacy team, whether that team is within the classroom, on an experiential rotation, or in a work setting. Leading by example is powerful!
Talk about it
Don't be afraid to discuss leadership with students. Through my experience, I create intentional time for students to discuss leadership. We talk about what being a leader means to them, how they demonstrate leadership, and participate in book clubs on relevant leadership topics. Sharing your personal story is an easy and effective way to demonstrate leadership to students.
I share stories about my past student leadership positions and the various challenges I faced. I also share the ways I overcame these challenges and how I push myself to become a better leader by putting myself in situations in which I may doubt myself and how I grew from those uncomfortable experiences. I have observed that students are receptive to personal and lived experiences.
Don’t be afraid to talk about your experiences with them.
Seek out opportunities
Throughout my few years in practice, I have found a love for mentoring students, but I have also dealt with a lot of self-doubt. It is difficult to break the cycle of imposter syndrome; however, when feelings of self-doubt emerge, I find it is important to push myself to persevere. I have discovered that when I push myself out of my comfort zone, my confidence grows. I have purposefully sought out mentoring, precepting, and teaching opportunities that have made me uncomfortable. This has demonstrated leadership in action to students and provided me an opportunity to foster my development as a leader.
As new practitioners, we can easily demonstrate leadership skills to students and play a key role in their personal and professional development.
Kaileigh Yen, PharmD, is a practice advancement fellow at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy (UNC ESOP) and a graduate of the UNC ESOP Community-based Pharmacy Residency Program with Campus Health in Chapel Hill, NC. Outside of pharmacy, Kaileigh is an avid reader and loves to crochet. She enjoys spending her free time with family, friends, her husband Kevin, and their four cats: Sabrina, Chuck Roast, Bill, and Brussel Sprout.