Leadership is a big part of the culture at the Dugoni School. Our students have earned national recognition for leadership in dental education and the profession, and the school is considered a hot bed for developing student leaders who are well versed in local, state and national issues. During the past five years, our students have been elected or appointed to some of the highest profile student leadership positions in the nation.
Leadership of this caliber doesn't happen by accident. Leadership development is so important to us, that we have included it as one of the dental school's core values. We offer many opportunities for our students to gain experience, assume leadership roles and grow. Student leadership has flourished at the Dugoni School thanks to our strong and effective student government, wide variety of mentoring and leadership opportunities and the constant encouragement from administrators and faculty to become involved.
One the most important concepts we embrace is that leaders are not born, they are made. That is, leadership is not an inherited ability but rather a set of skills that can be taught, acquired and nurtured. Leadership talent exists in most people and only needs to be exposed and developed.
In the words of Dean Emeritus Dr. Arthur A. Dugoni: "At Pacific, we grow people and along the way they become doctors."
