Healer's Perspective: A Course for Medical Students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physician Development
• Leadership Training

Background:

• The "Healer's Perspective" course was a five-session, student-led program delivered via Zoom during Fall 2022.
• Developed from the Sanford Summer Leadership Academy, it involved 37 medical students from the Sanford School of Medicine class of 2025.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the
• Healer's Perspective
• course on medical students' perceptions of physician development.
• To assess changes in students' confidence and perceived applicability of leadership and professionalism topics.

Main Methods:

• A pre- and post-course survey assessed participants' perceived applicability and confidence in key topics.
• Topics included emotional intelligence, Myers-Briggs, professionalism, boundaries, self-care, servant leadership, and adaptive leadership.
• Students rated each topic's importance and their confidence on a scale of 1 to 5.

Main Results:

• Perceived applicability of topics to physician development increased from an average of 4.782/5 to 4.902/5 (2.4% increase).
• Student confidence in the covered topics rose from an average of 3.444/5 to 4.21/5 (15.32% increase).

Conclusions:

• The "Healer's Perspective" course significantly boosted medical students' confidence in physician development topics.
• There is potential to integrate this course for credit in future medical school curricula.
• The program offers a valuable opportunity for students to build essential professional skills.