Identifying potential engaging leaders within medical education: The role of positive influence on peers.

Background: Previous research has paid little to no attention towards exploring methods of identifying existing medical student leaders.

Aim: Focusing on the role of influence and employing the tenets of the engaging leadership model, this study examines demographic and academic performance-related differences of positive influencers and if students who have been peer-identified as positive influencers also demonstrate high levels of genuine concern for others.

Methods: Three separate fourth-year classes were asked to designate classmates that had significant positive influences on their professional and personal development.