Building Leadership Competencies and Emotional Intelligence

The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine SELECT program (Scholarly Excellence. Leadership Experiences. Collaborative Training.) prepares students to be physician leaders who can accelerate change in health care. The program recruits and develops students with the intellectual perspective, empathy, creativity and passion to change patient care, the health of communities and the medical profession. The founding principle of SELECT is the concept that students with high emotional intelligence are more likely to develop the skills needed to transform health care and improve the health of communities. In essence: students with a strong foundation in emotional intelligence will become more engaged, compassionate physicians who will connect deeply with their patients and their patients’ families; feel more comfortable with and be more effective as team leaders and team members; and have the relationship building skills and systems perspectives to more effectively lead change in health care organizations.

One of the most distinctive features of SELECT is the opportunity for medical students to shape their educational experiences at both a highly progressive, student-centered medical school, the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa, FL, AND at one of the country’s top health networks known for its quality, safety, and lean approach to driving efficiency in healthcare, the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, PA. The first class was admitted in 2011, and approximately 50 students are now admitted annually. Students admitted to SELECT spend their first two years taking classes at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa, and then go to the USF-Lehigh Valley Campus for two years of clinical education. Students admitted to SELECT develop leadership skills that will arm them with the knowledge, resources, and network to change the healthcare landscape for the better. These include:

• Making a difference in the lives of patients, peers, community, and hospitals.
• Applying continuous improvement approaches to optimize healthcare quality, patient safety, and efficient use of resources.
• Building resilience to operate efficiently in complex health systems.
• Acquiring tools to become a change catalyst.
• Becoming a driving force for the evolution of healthcare quality.

USF-Lehigh Valley Campus