Empowering Women in Academic Emergency Medicine: A Time-Efficient Workshop Incorporating Large Language Models to...

Women now comprise over half of US medical school matriculants yet remain underrepresented in academic leadership, including emergency medicine (EM). Leadership training within medical education is variable, particularly in communication, conflict management, negotiation, and operations. Concurrently, large language models (LLMs) are emerging as accessible tools to support leadership skill development. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an AI-augmented leadership skills workshop designed to address the leadership gap for women in academic emergency medicine.

The Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM) developed and piloted a leadership development workshop at the 2025 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting. The curriculum integrated evidence-based leadership frameworks with experiential small-group learning and structured demonstrations of LLM use. Educational strategies included brief didactics, reflection on lived leadership challenges, peer discussion, and guided LLM-supported simulation of leadership conversations. Pre-workshop and postworkshop surveys and qualitative feedback were collected to assess participant confidence and perceived utility.

Participants demonstrated increased confidence in navigating power-differential conversations and initiating negotiations following the workshop. There was greater reported intent to apply leadership frameworks and to utilize LLMs for leadership-related tasks. Qualitative feedback highlighted themes of empowerment, practical applicability, and the importance of a psychologically safe, gender-informed learning environment. Participants identified LLMs as a novel and accessible adjunct to traditional leadership development resources.

An AI-augmented, experiential leadership workshop is a feasible and scalable approach to addressing persistent leadership development gaps for women in academic emergency medicine. Integrating LLM-supported practice with established leadership frameworks may enhance learner confidence and engagement. This model offers a practical strategy to support leadership skills for women physicians needed to navigate systemic barriers and advance into leadership roles.