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Fellows Program About Us
The Fellows Program is a 18-month leadership development program for incoming 2-year MPH students in all disciplines. A cohort of 12 students began this exciting program in December 2009, and the next cohort of 8-12 students were selected in December 2010. The Fellowship is now in its third year, and has recruited fellows for the 2010-2013 year. Built on a principle of developing leaders from the inside-out, the program aims to inspire students to become the best that they can be and to strengthen their abilities to make a positive difference in the world. The Fellows program is designed to complement students' coursework, research projects, and faculty mentoring, which are also essential components of student leadership development in public health. The fellows in each cohort, representing almost all concentrations and dual degree programs, were chosen to participate from among a large and very competitive pool of applicants. Students receive a stipend each semester to enable them to commit 10 hours/week for program activities. Students engage in a diverse program of learning activities, including training workshops, mentoring, assessments, experiential exercises, peer coaching, conversations with health leaders, opportunities to facilitate and present with feedback, and action learning projects within the SPH and in the community. This program was developed after CHL faculty and staff researched successful leadership development program in other schools of public health and graduate programs throughout the US. SPH faculty who were interviewed as part of a strategic planning process for the Center also suggested that we develop a competitive, opt-in program for students who were motivated to add a focus on leadership development to their regular SPH curriculum. Each student creates an individual development plan for their 18 months, continually assessing progress with a program faculty member, peers, and a mentor that they themselves will learn to recruit. They will also have the opportunity to engage in conversation with local health leaders twice a semester. In the first spring semester, students form teams to develop a public health project that serves as laboratory for building teamwork skills. The program culminates in a 7-month individual project with a public health/healthcare organization, utilizing and honing the skills they have learned. As a result of participating in this program, students will:
The Leadership Fellows Program Handbook is available here. 2011 Fellows: Lauren Baehner, EHS 2012 Fellows: Elisabeth Berger, HSB 2013 Fellows:
Michelle Beam, MPH, IDV
Our Experience in the CHL Fellows Program
We come from different backgrounds, have different career goals, and are at different points in our academic and non-academic lives. However, the Center for Health Leadership brought us, and ten of our MPH classmates, together through a common interest in leadership. Unlike other leadership programs in which we have participated, the Center for Health Leadership (CHL) Fellowship has focused on holistic leadership development; sure, leadership means being able to take the reins of a group project and be an effective student, advocate, and employee, but we often forget that it also involves a deep knowledge of self. Under the guidance of CHL faculty, and with the support of our peers, we have worked to develop ourselves through opportunities to analyze and reflect upon our entire leadership skill set. Fellowship projects and activities serve as tools that allow us to share our personal experiences and perspectives, creatively solve problems, analyze decision-making, and set personal and professional goals. The Fellowship program also focuses on demonstrating the broad range of careers available in the field of Public Health and assists us in making meaningful connections with leaders of public health agencies, both at our fellowship meetings on campus and within the larger Public Health community. This experience has tied our classroom learning—in concentrations ranging from Maternal and Child Health to Epidemiology and Biostatistics to City Planning—directly to our careers by allowing us to integrate knowledge and action. And this action is guided by a group process, continually being updated based on group dynamics and available resources. The UC Berkeley CHL Fellowship program has given a modern facelift to traditional leadership development and training. As we move into the new academic year, we are excited to continue our evolution as leaders, students, and public citizens.
What do you hope to gain from being in the fellows program? "I hope to gain a better understanding of my strengths as a public health leader and how I might improve upon my current skill sets and determine how I can most effectively contribute to a team of public health professionals and the communities we will serve." "I hope to gain more confidence in my abilities as a leader to affect positive change in the world, practical experience in initiating and carrying out a meaningful project while enhancing my team-building skills and ability to network with community leaders and other public health professionals." What are your personal and professional goals? "I am pursuing a MPH at UC Berkeley so that I can become a leader and advocate for increased access to family planning methods in the field of international public health. I strongly believe that fertility choice is a fundamental right for women throughout the world and I hope to join the ranks of top international public health professionals and develop culturally appropriate, sustainable and accessible family planning programs." "Upon completing my Masters in Public Health, I plan to attend Medical School to become a physician and a public health advocate, working to provide responsible medical care both to the individual and the larger population. I am committed to being a dedicated, intelligent, open-minded physician, and I think that pursuing degrees in both public health and medicine will allow me that extra level of commitment that will become a benchmark for my professional career." What does leadership mean to you? "I consider leadership to be the process in which one can enlist the support and expertise of others to accomplish a goal. In the realm of public health, we have a unique cadre of colleagues with a variety of skill sets. When we successfully collaborate with each other, we can address the most pressing and complex health issues facing populations." "I define leadership as the ability to motivate and inspire people toward a common goal. A good leader possesses strength, vision, humility, a good work ethic, and the ability to delegate work fairly." "Leadership is more than just being in charge and directing a team. Leadership is possessing attributes of a leader, one who inspires and guides, supports and motivates those around her or him."
PAST CHL FELLOWS EVENTS: CHL Leadership Fellows Lecture "Communication at Work: A Guide for Happiness and Success" by Greg Hicks
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"Leadership is more than just being in charge and directing a team. Leadership is possessing attributes of a leader, one who inspires and guides, supports and motivates those around her or him."
-Markell Lewis, Public Health Nutrition '11