Learning to Lead Before I Felt Ready: A Medical Student’s Perspective
June 3, 2026
By: Valentina Montoya Franco, MS4
I didn’t step into leadership because I felt ready. If anything, I thought I needed more experience, more confidence, more proof that I belonged. That moment never really came, so I had no choice but to start anyway.
My leadership journey didn’t begin in big roles. It started as a social media coordinator for student organizations during my basic science years. Later, I became Vice President of my school’s Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) chapter, and later President of our Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) chapter. That was the role that changed my perspective on myself as a leader. I was surrounded by an incredible group of women, many of them Latinas like me, who supported, challenged, and inspired me daily. Together, we built something and because I was the President, I began to see my leadership qualities.
When I transitioned into clinical rotations, I noticed something that was missing. Outside of clinical hours, there weren’t many opportunities for students to expand their skills or form connections with physicians. Because I was interested in a career in surgery, it felt like this was holding me and other students back. I remembered how intimidating it was to step into procedural spaces without practice or guidance, and I wanted to help fix this for students after me.
This was when I stepped into a new role as the student site representative for both the surgery and anesthesia interest groups at my hospital. At first, I had no idea where to start. I didn’t know who to reach out to or how to make things happen. For many months I sent emails, followed up on emails, went in circles, and felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. There were moments when I questioned whether anything I was doing was working.
But I kept going.
Eventually, I found the right mentors who were willing to teach, support, and help to open doors for me. With their guidance, I began organizing hands-on labs for students. What started as an idea turned into real opportunities. Since then, I’ve helped lead over six labs. These labs create spaces where students can practice, ask questions, and feel more confident.
It hasn’t been easy. It’s been a full rollercoaster. But it was worth it.
What fulfills me most about the things I have done is knowing that I can help create opportunities I once wished I had. I am also still learning along with everyone else. I’m still a medical student, and I’m still figuring things out, but now I’m building something meaningful at the same time. I’m currently working on expanding these opportunities even further by creating more labs, helping students find observerships, and organizing events that connect pre-clinical students with students doing their clerkships in order to make that transition a little less overwhelming.
Those experiences were incredibly meaningful to me. I remember being surprised when many of the physicians in my groups for LAS26 realized I was the only medical student there. Several of them asked me what made me decide to attend. The truth is, I didn’t have a perfect answer. I just knew that I cared about leadership and advocacy, and I wanted to learn. I wanted to understand how physicians can advocate for their patients beyond the hospital walls and how I could better contribute in the future. My mindset was simple: if I don’t know enough about something, then I should go learn and ask questions.
What I didn’t expect was how welcomed and encouraged I would feel. Being surrounded by physicians who dedicate their time to advocating for healthcare, education, and patient access was inspiring. It opened my eyes to the fact that leadership doesn’t always happen in a classroom, a clinic, or an operating room. Sometimes it happens in meetings, conversations, and difficult discussions where people are working to create change.
Looking back, these have been some of the most meaningful experiences of my medical school journey. I truly wish more students had the opportunity to be exposed to advocacy early in their training. It taught me that you don’t need to be an expert to get involved. You just need to care enough to show up, listen, learn, and be willing to take part in the conversation.
Leadership has stopped feeling like something I needed to be “ready” for. It has become something I practice every day. I still have moments of doubt, but they no longer hold me back the way they used to.
This is because I have learned one important thing: you don’t have to feel ready to lead, you just have to be willing to take the first step. When you do this, you also have to trust that as you move forward you will grow into the leader you want to be.
Valentina Montoya Franco is a fourth-year medical student at Ross University School of Medicine completing her clinical training in Maryland with a strong interest in surgery. Born and raised in Viterbo, Colombia, she has remained actively involved in student leadership and advocacy throughout medical school. During her basic science years, she served as Vice President of the Latino Medical Student Association chapter at her school and later as President of the Association of Women Surgeons chapter. She is passionate about leadership and advocacy and attended LAS26 for ACS and the SALUD Summit 2026 for LMSA this year in DC, experiences she describes as both meaningful and professionally transformative.
She currently serves as Vice President of the Surgery Medical Specialty Interest Group and as the student surgery and anesthesia site leader for students from her school during clinical rotations. Her experiences in the operating room, student leadership, and community outreach have strengthened her passion for patient care, teamwork, mentorship, and surgical education. Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, being outdoors, horseback riding and cooking which helps keep her grounded and recharged through the demands of medical training.