Special thanks to Jamiu O. Busari, MB ChB, MD, PhD, MHPE, and Victor Do, MD, for developing this content.
The structure of this medical leadership training curriculum focuses on the theoretical and practical aspects of management and leadership in healthcare. The curriculum consists of several modules that will be introduced at different stages of the training and focus on the qualities that each resident requires to develop their competence as a leader. The intended learning objectives of this training include the ability to or knowledge of:
Ideally, such a longitudinal curriculum would consist of 4 components.
The longitudinal management and leadership curriculum comprises themes that provide the residents with substantive insight into the skills and knowledge they need to develop their management and leadership competencies. The themes are divided into three modules and increase in complexity over time to match the learning needs of the residents.
In addition to the training courses, specific “management and leadership” masterclasses will be offered. Theses masterclasses are intended to provide residents with a practical, real-world applicability of leadership concepts and theories. They are short and intense leadership teaching sessions, i.e., deep dives into the systems and processes defining the clinical workplace, that are expected to provide the residents with insights into the non-clinical aspects of healthcare. During the sessions, topics such as finance, hospital administration, Governance and policy, health insurance, and the effect of market forces on the organization and future of health will be explored. For these sessions, there is no pre-requisite preparation needed by the resident.
The masterclasses are essentially interactive, informative, and inspiring sessions with inspirational speakers e.g., residents, medical specialists, hospital administrators, health insurers, and politicians. The masterclasses are expected to stimulate thinking and provide the residents with additional tools to tackle future challenges in healthcare. They could be a part of a short leadership internship with hospital administrators or an important prerequisite to achieve a predefined and tailored leadership task/activity for the resident.
In addition to the activities mentioned in parts 1 and 2, there are other activities that are essential for the optimal development of management and leadership competencies in residents. For example, exposure to non-direct patient-related management and care improvement projects. Therefore, during their training, residents would be expected to choose or participate in one or more of the options mentioned below.
Finally, once this activity is completed resident would engage in a reflective exercise of their learnings and how it may affect their practice, future goals etc.
As the final part of the four-part management trajectory, creating opportunities for residents to set up and/or participate in an innovative healthcare project will help them prepare for their future roles as leaders of health care teams. In addition, by participating in local/regional innovative care projects, the resident would be exposed to important processes needed to achieve optimal patient care, efficient use of (financial) resources, and a more pleasant working climate for all care professionals. Specific examples that they can engage in include:
These projects will run parallel to the other modules (1 to 3) of the 1-year resident leadership training and thus offer the residents the opportunity to apply theory directly in practice. The residents will set up these projects in multidisciplinary teams where at least a medical specialist (coach), nurses, and hospital manager are part of the team. In principle, the projects should be feasible within all departments to develop new knowledge and experiences and lead to innovative, creative solutions in healthcare.
In summary, the conditions for the healthcare innovation project include:
References