Doctors as Leaders: Implementing a Pilot Cohort-based Leadership Program for Early to Mid-career Physicians

Health Care Problem: Hospitals and healthcare systems are facing evolving challenges of costs, staffing shortages, patient safety, and more, further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges faced during this time. In an HBR article, Rotenstein et al. (2018) state that “unlike any other occupation where management skills are important, physicians are neither taught how to lead nor are they typically rewarded for good leadership. Even though medical institutions have designated “leadership” as a core medical competency, leadership skills are rarely taught and reinforced across the continuum of medical training.”

Evidence suggests that leadership quality affects patients, clinical outcomes, physician well-being, and job satisfaction. Flaig et al. (2020) examined how formal leadership development programs positively influenced individual competencies and organizational outcomes. Their results showed that participants gained management knowledge, increased their confidence and communication skills, and increased job satisfaction.1 Although there is no singular guideline, there is a consensus and a frame of reference about the competencies and skills that should be reflected in a leader. Essential leadership skills include influence, navigating organizational politics, team development and dynamics, conflict management, and more.2

Educational Strategy: Stanford Center for Continuing Medical Education deployed an online needs assessment to practicing physicians in our database. We had 160 respondents: 50% from academic medical centers, 23% from community practice, and 13% from private practice. 89% of respondents were practicing physicians with equal gender spread. Respondents could opt-in to participate in a focus group with the program’s leadership.

60% of respondents have or were in an administrative leadership role, but more than half (57%) had not participated in a formal program. Those who had completed a formal leadership training program, identified gaps such as “lack of training in time management,” “running efficient meetings,” “learning how to collaborate with an administrative assistant effectively,” and “specific training on how to manage people,” etc.

We designed a 6-month curriculum utilizing synchronous and asynchronous sessions, group coaching sessions, 1:1 coaching sessions, and a capstone project. The curriculum was designed to lead participants through a learning journey, beginning with the self, the team, and the organization. Course materials were developed internally and featured e-learning modules, animations, discussion boards, etc.

Patient-Level Outcome(s) Measured: The program launched in January 2022 with 41 participants. Participants evaluated the course’s impact and quality using a post-course survey. 32 participants (78%) completed the survey. 89% of respondents indicated that the program covered content useful to their practice, and 93% indicated that it contributed to their professional growth and was relevant to their current scope of practice. 82% of respondents indicated that the combination of live sessions and asynchronous modules worked well for them. 93% agreed that the program cadence related to frequency and time between sessions worked well for them. 100% of survey respondents indicated that they had applied one or more of the skills they learned in the program to their practice as a leader.
The experience and results have implications for improving patient safety and healthcare quality. Our work suggests that the SPLC program may help participants develop the six core competencies identified by the AMA for leaders in medicine: professionalism, self-management, team management, influence and communication, systems-based practice, and executing towards a vision.3