LEAP: An Interprofessional Educators Leadership Acceleration Program
Seminar Description: Leadership has often been described as “…the abominable snowman whose footprints are everywhere but who is nowhere to be seen.” (1) Early to mid-career education leaders who wish to develop personal, organizational, and professional skills in management of teams, programs, and curriculum often do not receive any training or onboarding as they begin their leadership roles (2). Often leadership skills are confused with management skills (3) and this can result in stress for the team as well as the leader if there is no clear delineation of the roles. In an effort to highlight the importance of leadership skills for health professions educators, a leadership onboarding program was developed. After attending this seminar, participants will identify key leadership competencies, 2) Discuss the process for developing an institutional activity for early and mid-career educators emphasizing these leadership competencies, and 3) reflect on their own leadership development using the these leadership competencies as a guide.
LEAP, an acronym for Leadership Educators Accelerator Program was started by Duke AHEAD, our Academy for Health Professions Education and Academic Development at the request of Duke’s institutional leaders. A pilot program for 19 early and mid-career leaders was offered over a three month period virtually in 2023. A committee of educators identified key topics for discussion, and faculty experts were recruited to present interactive sessions on these topics. Participants self-nominated and had a letter of support from their direct report. All participants completed a leadership inventory prior to starting the program(Everything DiSC Work of Leaders) and received feedback from the inventory on their leadership characteristics.
The learning objectives for LEAP address personal, professional, and organizational leadership skills. Personal skills highlight the importance of reflection, humility, life-long learning, and work-life equilibrium. Organizational discussions include sessions on team building, inclusive meeting management, budget development and multi-generational communication skills. Discussions on mentorship, negotiation, and leading without bias address important professional development .
Pre- and post-program surveys were intentionally designed to assess participant success at meeting LEAP learning objectives and to gather feedback for quality improvement purposes. Surveys also provided opportunity for individuals to self-assess their progression along a subset of Clinician Educator Milestones (CEMs) (4). Post-survey participants (n = 14, 73% response rate) reported the LEAP more than adequately prepared them for next steps in leadership development. Participants’ mean self-assessment along the progression of CEMs increased from Level 3 (competent) on pre-survey to Level 3+ (competent to proficient) on post-survey.
1. Bennis W, Nanus N. Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge. New York: Harper and Row; 1985.
2. van Diggele, C., Burgess, A., Roberts, C. et al. Leadership in healthcare education. BMC Med Educ 20 (Suppl 2), 456 (2020).
3. Swanwick, T. and McKimm, J. (2011), What is clinical leadership…and why is it important?. The Clinical Teacher, 8: 22-26.
4. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM). The Clinical Educator Milestone Project. August 2022. (https://www.acgme.org/what-we-do/accreditation/milestones/resources/clinician-educator-milestones/)
In support of improving patient care, this activity is planned and implemented by The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Office of Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development (National Center OICPD). The National Center OICPD is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
As a Jointly Accredited Provider, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
The National Center OICPD (JA#: 4008105) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers (ATs).
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
Physicians: The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education designates this live activity for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with their participation.
Physician Assistants: The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.
Nurses: Participants will be awarded contact hours of credit for attendance at this workshop.
Nurse Practitioners: The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians: This activity is approved for contact hours.
Athletic Trainers: This program is eligible for Category A hours/CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program.
Social Workers: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
IPCE: This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.
Learners can claim CE credit by completing the Daily Evaluation.