Can case-based discussions be used for leadership development in medical education? - an exploratory inquiry

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The organization and funding of health care delivery are undergoing rapid change. As a result, the need for effective and context relevant educational methods to teach physicians leadership skills is growing. The case-based discussion has been proven to be effective in teaching leadership skills. Therefore, we decided to explore the potential value of its application in leadership training programs for residents.

We performed a qualitative survey to investigate the views of residents and professionals on the use of case-based discussion for leadership skills development during residency training. The Results showed that there were differences in the quality and methods of teaching amongst teachers in different disciplines. More interactive educational strategies were recommended such as case-based discussion and practice-based education during protected teaching slots. Our findings reflected the challenges associated with finding the perfect moment to initiate formal leadership education in postgraduate medical education.

The case-based discussion is a potentially helpful method to teach residents leadership skills. In addition, establishing trust between stakeholders in the health system should be a focus of any leadership course. Still, determining the perfect timing to initiate leadership training during residency remains difficult.