During the 2011-2012 academic year, multiple residents came forward with the following question: If we have a reputation for developing future leaders in Emergency Medicine, then why do we not have a formal curriculum in leadership development? The question was a good one and prompted many meetings and much discussion over the next year in order to try to define how we developed residents into leaders. Ultimately, it was determined that this occurred in a passive fashion, primarily through the graduated responsibility model of our clinical training program. Led by Dr. Brian Stettler, the Program Director at the time, we then embarked on a plan to turn this passive leadership education into active leadership education. The result was the evolution of the Leadership Curriculum over the next few years. This started with the launch of a Grand Rounds curriculum in 2013-2014, which was followed the next year by the creation of specialized interest groups such as the Education and Operations Leadership Academies. These Academies not only created their own curricula through extracurricular meetings and workshops but they also provided the opportunity for residents to take on mentored projects in their area of interest under the guidance of leadership mentors. In 2017, we graduated the first class of the Leadership Curriculum, consisting of those fourth-year residents who had completed the pre-specified graduation criteria within their chosen Academy. While all residents are exposed to the Grand Rounds curriculum, more extensive involvement in the Leadership Curriculum is voluntary. Currently approximately 25% of the residents are actively involved in the Leadership Curriculum, supported by approximately 20 faculty.
Leadership Curriculum Faculty Leaders:
Founder: Brian Stettler, MD
Current Chair: Erin McDonough, MD
Chair, Education Leadership Academy: Jeff Hill, MD
Chair, Operations Leadership Academy: Jack Palmer, MD
Grand Rounds Curriculum:
The Grand Rounds curriculum is based loosely on a two-year revolving curriculum so as the maximize the exposure of all residents to the core content over their four years of residency. Leadership Curriculum Grand Rounds presentations occur quarterly and typically consist of a small didactic component on the given topic with significant emphasis placed on case-based learning and discussion in small groups with faculty preceptors. Recurring topics include: attitudes of a leader, how to pitch an idea, the finances of leadership, gender and age differences in communication, mentorship, etc. Novel content is occasionally introduced as well with some recent topics including: failure, styles of leadership, how to receive feedback, etc. The overall goal of the Grand Rounds curriculum is to provide residents with hands-on experience in the thought process of leadership as well as to build skills in collaborative problem-solving.
Leadership Academies:
Those residents who wish to have deeper involvement in the Leadership Curriculum may join a special interest Academy. The current available Academies include the Education Leadership Academy (ELA) and the Operations Leadership Academy (OLA). There is also much opportunity in the area of Research as well (and to earn a graduation distinction in this, although this occurs through the previously developed Leadership Track offered by the Division of Research.
Residents who wish to join an Academy must identify a leadership mentor within that Academy as well as a mentored-project. Residents in the ELA will select an education-based project and residents in the OLA will select an operations/administration-based project. Faculty within each Academy can help residents identify a project of interest. Residents should then meet with their leadership mentor at least 2 to 4 times per year to discuss the resident's progress in leadership development, reflecting on the resident's strengths and areas of focus as a leader.
Each Academy also produces quarterly workshops, also on a loosely revolving curriculum. These are scheduled outside of Grand Rounds, typically at a restaurant or faculty house. Residents within the particular Academy are strongly encouraged to attend, although these workshops are open to any resident or faculty member, even those not formally affiliated with the Leadership Curriculum. Residents can join more than one Academy as long as they complete the requirements of each Academy, including a separate mentored project.
| ELA Recurring Curriculum: Year 1 - Getting Academic Credit for your Work in Education/Education Research, Providing Feedback, How to Run a Meeting/Lead a Discussion Group Year 2 - Networking in the Digital Age, Finances of Education, Curriculum Development |
| OLA Recurring Curriculum: Year 1 - Leadership 101, Project Management, Patient Progression Year 2 - Data & Analytics, Culture & Experience, Errors Year 3 - Quality Improvement, Innovation & Design, Balancing Act (work-life balance/professional satisfaction) |
We have found the Leadership Curriculum to be a unique, rich experience that achieves the goal of turning leadership development from a passive process into an active one. The Leadership Curriculum was presented at the SAEM Annual Meeting in May 2015.