Preparing residents in training to become health-care leaders: a pilot project

The aim of this study is to describe a successful and exportable training module that addresses Next Accreditation System (NAS) behavioral milestones for leadership competencies.

A novel leadership training module, which required the creation of original business plans by teams of residents, was incorporated into a psychiatry PGY-2 training curriculum.

In the creation and presentation of their business plans, the residents demonstrated competencies in the NAS functional domains of interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice. Residents who responded with feedback after completing the course were very positive about their experience.

The leadership training module described here allowed residents to acquire and demonstrate many of the competencies specified in leadership-oriented NAS milestones. The module did not require additional funding or a formal rotation or "track," is scalable to accommodate any number of residents and can be modified based on available local teaching resources.