Leadership Curriculum in Medical Education: Exploring Student and Faculty Perceptions in a US Medical School in Qatar

PURPOSE: Leadership has long been recognized as a core competency required to excel in medical practice. This qualitative study investigates the extent to which leadership competencies are incorporated in the curriculum of a US medical college in Qatar and examines the perceptions of medical students and faculty about leadership in the medical curriculum. METHODS: The study uses a student survey, faculty interviews, and a student focus group to gather data. RESULTS: The study found that 79% of the survey respondents perceive leadership as a core competency while 55% feel that leadership skills are not adequately taught to students. The focus group and interviews revealed that students believe more importance should be given to leadership training whereas faculty assert that, while leadership can be beneficial, leadership training is implicit, and more research is required for further implementation. CONCLUSION: This study shows the need for an increased emphasis on developing leadership curricula in undergraduate medical education and highlights ways to address certain obstacles to implementation. Further research on exploring medical alumni’s perceptions and optimal teaching methods to implement leadership training is needed.