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Exploring medical leader identity and its formation
Emily Maile1, Judy McKimm2, Alex Till3
1Health Education England East Midlands, Nottingham, UK.
Leadership in Health Services (Bradford, England)
|October 16, 2019
Summary
Medical professional identity formation (MPIF) is key for doctors transitioning into leadership roles. Developing a medical leader identity (MLI) requires support throughout a doctor's career, acknowledging evolving and interconnected identities.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Leadership Studies
- Professional Identity Formation
Background:
- Medical professional identity formation (MPIF) is a complex process influenced by societal expectations and personal identity.
- Doctors increasingly face leadership roles requiring significant identity shifts.
- Understanding the nuances of identity is crucial for effective medical leadership.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore medical professional identity (MPI) and MPIF in the context of doctors as leaders.
- To introduce and define new concepts: medical leader identity (MLI) and medical leader identity formation (MLIF).
- To examine how MLI and MLIF can be nurtured within medical practice.
Main Methods:
- A rapid conceptual review of relevant literature was conducted.
- Identity theories were applied to understand challenges in medical leadership.
- A new conceptual framework for MLI and MLIF was developed.
Main Results:
- MLIF is essential for developing medical leaders, starting before medical school.
- Both MPIF and MLIF are influenced and challenged throughout a doctor's career.
- Awareness of multiple, interconnected, and evolving identities is vital.
Conclusions:
- Doctors need support to develop their medical leader identity (MLI) alongside their medical professional identity (MPI).
- The concepts of MLI and MLIF offer a new perspective on the evolving roles of doctors as healthcare leaders.
- Nurturing MLI and MLIF is critical for effective healthcare leadership.
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