Rochelle Walensky Reflects on Her Work as Former Biden CDC Director
Looking Back at a Tumultuous Time in a Penn LDI Fireside Chat
Population Health
In Their Own Words
Penn, Harvard and Columbia All Chose Doctors To Lead Anxious Campuses
LDI Senior Fellow Guy David Has Taught Leadership To Over 2,000 Clinicians. He Lays Out Why Doctors Can Make Great Leaders In a Stat News Op-Ed
Print:
The following excerpt is from an op-ed that first appeared in STAT News on August 26th, 2024.
Recently, Columbia University’s president resigned after months of chaos, following in the footsteps of Harvard and my own institution, Penn.
Besides struggling with encampments, building takeovers, and commencement challenges, the three universities have something else in common: They have all chosen MDs as president or interim president.
Some people might be surprised by that. But I’m not.
I’ve trained more than 2,000 clinicians in leadership positions over the last 15 years. I’ve seen firsthand how clinical decision-making and experience in the trenches of a hospital can prepare a clinician to be an effective leader in medical as well as non-medical business settings.
Those heading to medical or nursing school gravitate there because they inherently want to better the lives of others. They must be exceptional students, mastering science, math, and literature. The combination of problem-solving skills and empathy for others is rarely a requirement in other professions. Nevertheless, it is a crucial special sauce for thriving as a leader.
Read the entire op-ed here.
Author
Guy David, PhD
Allen B. Miller Professor, Health Care Management and Chair, Health Care Management Department, Wharton School; Professor, Health Policy and Medical Ethics, Perelman School of Medicine
More on Population Health
A National Randomized Trial Seeks to Increase Kidney Transplants. Is it Working?
LDI Fellows Explain Why the Transplant Waitlist Has Not Increased—And What to Do About It
An LDI Fellow Traces Her Journey From Ailing Mom to NIH-funded Researcher
Lynne Moronski of Penn Nursing Began in Health Care As a Patient and Now Seeks to Help Those With Disabilities
Videos on TikTok and YouTube Aim to Alarm Women About Birth Control
Influencers Mount Daily Attacks on Contraception While Urging Viewers to Return to a More “Natural” State. Unwanted Pregnancies May Be The Result
Why Deaths Are Likely to Rise from Hotter Weather Due to Climate Change
LDI Study Highlights Rising Heat’s Impact on Mortality
How Nurse Staffing Variations were Associated with Hospital Patient Deaths During the COVID Pandemic
New Study Looks Back at Conditions That Speak to Future Hospital Emergency Preparedness