Establishing learning objectives for a leadership skills development curriculum in family medicine

If leadership skills can be developed during post-medical school training, physicians will be better prepared to influence positive change for their patients and communities. Based on both LEADS and CanMEDS Leader competencies, a mixed methods approach was used to identify the most valued leadership constructs and which of these should be prioritized for development in an enhanced family medicine curriculum. The interpersonal skills were identified most often and included: self-awareness/leads self, effective communications, leading change and building teams. While some opportunities to achieve competence in leadership skills already exist in family medicine residency programs, increased attention to providing development opportunities as well as assessment methods and faculty development is necessary in order to support new doctors as leaders. This study identifies three over-arching goals to guide curriculum change in order to achieve this.