Chicago, Illinois – The American Medical Association Foundation (AMAF) hosted its inaugural Leadership Development Institute (LDI) in Chicago at American Medical Association (AMA) headquarters. Medical students traveled from across the country to participate in a weekend retreat as part of the institute. The LDI is a unique leadership training program dedicated to cultivating a diverse cohort of aspiring physician committed to serving the needs of their communities and improving our nation’s health.

A year-long program, the LDI consists of quarterly web conferences, a weekend of intensive, hands-on leadership training, structured one-on-one mentorship with practicing physicians who are members of the AMA House of Delegates, and more. The Institute offers medical students entering their final year of medical school a unique opportunity to gain individualized insight into the skills needed become better leaders in their careers and communities. Students apply to the program and are selected by a committee based upon essays, grades, resumes, and more. Once students are accepted into the Institute, the program is at no cost to them, including round-trip travel to Chicago for a weekend-retreat and attendance at the AMA Annual House of Delegates Meeting.

The inaugural class is: Rachel Bervell, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine; Phillip Breslow, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine; Timothy Grunert, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine; Syed Haider, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Allison Murray Montgomery, University of Alabama School of Medicine; Vaidehi Mujumdar, Wake Forest School of Medicine; Steven Acton Pifer, Florida State University College of Medicine; Luis E. Seija, Texas A&M University College of Medicine; Elizabeth Stephenson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine; and Elisabeth S. Young, MPH, University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine.