Leader and Leadership Education and Development in Medical Education across the Professional Life-Cycle

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Problem: Leader and Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) is of growing interest in medical education and is a critical element for success. Several programs world-wide in undergraduate medical education (UME) and graduate medical education (GME) include their own versions of LEAD, but these programs remain relatively unique to university and institution missions. Creating and using a common language across the life-cycle (spanning pre-UME, UME, GME, and beyond) and delivering appropriate curricula and assessments for each stage of the professional life-cycle is essential. Approach: The purpose of the 2019 LEAD Summit and Working Group meeting was to share opinions, experiences, and current practices across the medical professional life-cycle. Attendees offered diverse perspectives relevant to leadership programs before, during, and after medical school. Outcomes: Three themes emerged from the meeting: the importance of common language; relevant and effective curriculum; and meaningful assessment across the life-cycle. Additionally, integration should occur within each step of the life-cycle and across the life-cycle to enhance the learning experience. To achieve these goals requires the development of learners and faculty. Next Steps: Leadership is valuable in medicine. If medical education programs do not value LEAD, then these programs will fail to equip graduates to be effective 21 st Century medical professionals. The development of a common language, clear expectations within and among training programs, and accreditation from appropriate organizations would provide some quality control and encourage institutions to provide resources and buy-in from learners and faculty.