The Military Medicine Leadership Life Cycle: A Model for Longitudinal Leadership Development for Staff Physicians

Leadership development is a challenge for all health care systems. Military Medicine has unique challenges with increased frequency of physician turnover and more junior leaders taking on positions of leadership earlier in their careers. Military medical corps officers are also challenged with leading in clinical, academic, and operational settings. Effective leadership within the Military Healthcare System requires an intentional and ongoing leadership development process across the careers of military medical corps officers. This article describes the leadership lifecycle of military medical corps officers, highlighting existing leadership development opportunities and providing an example of a leadership lifecycle from junior staff to senior executive for other organizations. The article concludes with specific recommendations that will allow military medicine to continue to strengthen the leadership skills of its officers to meet ever growing challenges.