Name
Growing Leaders Over Four Years: A Longitudinal Admissions Ambassador Model That Evolves with Its Student Partners
Speakers
Authors
Harsimran Multani, The Robert Larner MD College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Carolyn Bernegger, The Robert Larner MD College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Leila Amiri, The Robert Larner MD College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Date & Time
Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 10:45 AM - 10:59 AM
Presentation Category
Designing Holistic Programs: Growth-Oriented Assessment, Feedback, and Learner Development
Presentation Tag(s)
Student Presenter
Description
Rationale
Structured mentoring is increasingly recognized as important in medical education, given student reports of a need for earlier, intentional leadership development. Leadership opportunities, however, are often unevenly accessed, and many models position students as recipients of mentorship rather than partners who shape programs.
Description of Innovation
The Medical Student Admissions Ambassador Program (MSAAP) at the Larner College of Medicine engages approximately 15 students per class year across all four years. Within each incoming cohort, 3–4 students are selected in the first year as Lead Ambassadors and serve through graduation, receiving longitudinal mentorship while mentoring peer ambassadors and coordinating subcommittee work (Pre-Interview, Interview Day, Post-Interview).
Selection for both roles uses an anonymized process that prioritizes students without other significant leadership positions in the College, expanding access to learners who might otherwise be overlooked. The relationship is reciprocal: the current program structure incorporates changes proposed by a former Lead Ambassador, showing how sustained roles let students shape the program rather than simply operate within it.
Outcomes/Status
This work-in-progress presentation describes the program's structure, mentorship model, and examples of student-driven change. Planned next steps include gathering Lead Ambassadors' reflections on their leadership development and influence on the program, and audience feedback on evaluation strategies.
Discussion
By pairing longitudinal mentorship with genuine student input into program design, MSAAP offers a transferable model treating students as partners in continuous improvement, relevant to institutions seeking reciprocal, growth-oriented mentorship that embeds students as co-leaders.