MILITARY MEDICINE, 00, 0/0:1, 2021 Leadership Training in Medicine—12 Years of Experience From the Feagin Leadership Program CPT Brent Nosé, MD; Eric Sankey, MD; Dimitrios Moris, MD, MSc, PhD; LTC Joe Doty, PhD (Ret.); COL Dean Taylor, MD (Ret.) ABSTRACT Introduction: Increasingly, physicians fnd themselves in demanding leadership positions. However, leadership education for medical trainees remains lacking with most physicians reporting that they are ill-equipped to tackle the challenges of leadership. Here, we set out to describe the Feagin Leadership Program (FLP) and assess its reception and impact on trainees over the past 12 years. Materials and Methods: During the 1-year FLP, selected scholars from Duke University, Wake Forest University, and the University of North Carolina participate in fve leadership sessions, individual coaching, a leadership forum, and a multidisciplinary team– based capstone project. A 28-question survey with six optional free-response questions was distributed to the Feagin Alumni Network, and descriptive statistics were assessed. Results: Since its founding, 212 scholars have graduated from the FLP and 117 (55%) alumni have gone on to surgical specialties. A survey was distributed among all Feagin alumni. A total of 56 (26%) surveys were completed. Forty-three percent (n = 24) had held at least one leadership position since completing the FLP. When asked about the impact of their experience, 96% (n = 54) said that the program encouraged them to pursue a position of leadership within their feld, 95% (n = 53) stated that it prepared them for such a position, and 93% (n = 52) stated that the program positively infuenced their decision to be involved with current or future positions of leadership. Conclusions: Over the last 12 years, the FLP has demonstrated a high perceived impact on personal growth, leadership profciency, and the decision to pursue leadership positions in medicine. The current dearth of leadership education for surgical trainees can best be addressed with models such as the FLP, with adoption benefting medical trainees, the medical community, and patients they serve. INTRODUCTION Long before the Athenians frst instituted their democracy in the ffth century BC, Homer shared his leadership model in the epic poem “Odyssey.” According to Homer, lead- ership requires respect, reciprocity, and excellence. 1 These pillars hold true today for leadership in all domains, and the lessons from Homer, among other philosophers and lead- ers, are taught almost ubiquitously. However, in contrast to other arenas such as fnance or business, leadership training for medical trainees remains limited, throughout their edu- cation, from medical school to residency, fellowship, and early-career stages as board-certifed clinicians. 2–5 Although diverse in scope, size, and setting, the leader- ship expectations placed upon clinicians are demanding. 6, 7 This assumption is largely based on a belief that the years of medicine and specialty training that led to a successful clini- cal career will also ensure success as a leader. Although some physicians can quickly adapt to this role, the majority feel that Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC 27710, USA doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usab293 © The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2021. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals. permissions@oup.com. they are ill-equipped to tackle such challenges. 8 Acknowledg- ing that many physicians lack the necessary leadership skills and relevant leadership training, healthcare institutions are still hiring individuals to fll many core positions with skilled, non-physician leaders. Whether it is the changing tide in healthcare reimbursement and insurance or adapting to global pandemics, the demand for strong medical leadership is grow- ing. 9 This is particularly true in the era of multidisciplinary patient care, where patient clinical outcomes are dependent upon individual ability to effciently lead a multidisciplinary care team. 10 These challenges span a wide breadth of arenas from academia and research to private practice. 11, 12 As these challenges mount, the classical assumption that any physi- cian will instinctively know how to excel as a leader is being increasingly tested. Despite the demand for leadership education in medicine, little guidance exists in the present literature. 13 To address the need for leadership education in medicine, the Feagin Leadership Program (FLP) was launched in 2008 at the Duke University School of Medicine with a mission of providing a “transformational learning experience that develops effec- tive, ethical leaders who positively infuence healthcare.” In order to achieve its mission, the program approaches scholars MILITARY MEDICINE, Vol. 00, Month/Month 2021 1 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/milmed/advance-article/doi/10.1093/milmed/usab293/6323377 by guest on 30 September 2022