Jhansi Raju, MD

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Special Note: Intended to be taken by students in their M1 year. Course will meet in-person every 2-4 weeks; likely Wednesday afternoons. Exact dates/times TBD.

This part-time elective (one week of elective credit) empowers participants on their personal development journey through medical school and beyond. Students will learn how to maximize personal and professional effectiveness to achieve their goals, and live a purposeful life that is meaningful to them and others. In alignment with SSOM competencies 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8, this course will refine students’ interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and approach towards their own wellbeing and life goals.

This is a structured personal development curriculum conducted over 8 sessions that follows the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, by Stephen R. Covey. This book explores the core principles and paradigms of effectiveness that underpin character, leadership, and self-improvement, providing a holistic approach for achieving success personally and professionally. Each session will revolve around one chapter of this book, guiding students to deeply reflect on their values, and adopt habits that will enable them to live a life of enduring happiness; and in that process become exceptional, compassionate, and fulfilled healers.

The objectives of this course are to:

• Encourage students to reflect on the principles and paradigms that underpin their character development.  
• Have students take responsibility for their own success and self-improvement by equipping them with the tools to be effective.
• Reflect and clearly delineate their goals as future physicians and for their life as a whole.
• Implement habits, that when consciously practiced, will lead students to lasting success in their career and personal lives.
• Introduce the concept of interdependence and the skills necessary to work synergistically as part of a health care team.
• Understand the value of wellbeing and its essential role in personal development.
• Connect how building character and personal development, facilitates the delivery of exceptional, compassionate, and value based healthcare.

Description of Activities: Students will read the assigned chapter from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, by Stephen R. Covey before each monthly session. By completing the reading before the session, time can be spent engaging in group reflections, discussions, and activities geared towards further exploring personal development.  

This course is graded pass/fail. The grade is dependent on the attendance and participation at the in person sessions, completion of readings prior to the in-person monthly sessions, filling out associated questionnaires, completing narrative-style typed reflections, logging lifestyle changes made based on course teachings, and a final project.