Gretchen Carpenter MED’29 and Raymond Huang MED’29 are among 100 medical students from across the U.S. selected to participate in the AAMC’s summer leadership program RISE: Developing Future Leaders in Academic Medicine and Science for Rising Second Year Medical Students. The program is designed to equip students with essential leadership skills through storytelling and reflection that will support their journey through medical school and beyond.
Tara Cunningham, associate dean for student life, nominated Carpenter and Huang, who are both part of student government, for their demonstrated willingness and ability to positively affect the culture and learning environment at Geisel School of Medicine.
Carpenter is one of two community service representatives and leads the Pediatrics Interest Group; Huang is a student representative on the Medical Education Committee and leads the Otolaryngology (ENT) Interest Group.
The two-and-a-half-day seminar took place in late June at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The curriculum focused on four core leadership areas: relationships, influence, self-awareness, and effectiveness, instilling confidence in medical students so they are prepared to lead with confidence, empathy, and impact.
They first learned about the principal philosophy of leadership—behavior, not a title is its defining characteristic—and the power of storytelling as an effective communication tool. Then broke into small groups for further discussions.
“At first, the emphasis on storytelling and developing a personal brand confused me,” Huang says. “But I came to understand how closely the two are connected. Sharing the experiences that have shaped you helps others understand the values you bring to leadership and why the work matters to you.
“Music has been an important part of my life and has shaped how I connect with others, work with a team, and lead,” he says. “The conference helped me think more intentionally about how those experiences—as a musician, conductor of the Geisel Grooves, and future physician—are part of the story I bring to medicine.”
Another lesson Huang learned was understanding how he defines success. Participating in an open-ended question challenge, he discovered that everyone’s responses were individual. “How you define success shapes what you prioritize and how you approach your work. Right now, one important measure of success for me on the MEC is effectively representing students’ concerns.
“It was a fantastic conference and I learned a lot.”
According to the AAMC, as the leadership roles of physicians evolve, a successful career in medicine includes enhances leadership abilities to successfully navigate the challenges facing medical schools and academic health systems.
“I'm very much so a quiet leader,” Carpenter says. "This was a perfect opportunity for me to step outside my comfort zone, practice different leadership styles, and learn how to adapt to different groups.”
Learning about different management styles made an impression on her, such as how effective leaders communicated and how people interpreted various leadership styles.
“It was helpful for me to better understand my own leadership strengths and how different leadership styles shape the way we all collaborate and communicate as a team,” she says. “I realized being a good leader means recognizing and complementing other peoples’ skills and communication styles.
“I'm a relator and that fits with how I tend to interact in leadership groups,” she says. Relators enjoy close relationships with others and find deep satisfaction in working hard with them to achieve a goal. “Now that I am more cognizant of my leadership style, I will be more intentional and more strategic in the work I do. I will take these leadership ideas into consideration when thinking about organizing volunteer groups and how Geisel can make it easier for more students to participate in community service projects.
“This awareness is also something I can use as I move through my career.”