An Approach to Leadership Development and Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Education in the Context of Professional Identity Formation in Pre-Clinical Medical Students

Abstract

Objectives Leadership and patient safety and quality improvement (PSQI) are recognized as essential parts of a physician's role and identity, which are important for residency training. Providing adequate opportunities for undergraduate medical students to learn skills related to these areas, and their importance, is challenging. Methods The Western University Professional Identity Course (WUPIC) was introduced to develop leadership and PSQI skills in second-year medical students while also aiming to instill these topics into their identities. The experiential learning portion was a series of student-led and physician-mentored PSQI projects in clinical settings that synthesized leadership and PSQI principles. Course evaluation was done through pre/post-student surveys and physician mentor semi-structured interviews. Results A total of 108 of 188 medical students (57.4%), and 11 mentors (20.7%), participated in the course evaluation. Student surveys and mentor interviews illustrated improved student ability to work in teams, self-lead, and engage in systems-level thinking through the course. Students improved their PSQI knowledge and comfort levels while also appreciating its importance. Conclusion The findings from our study suggest that undergraduate medical students can be provided with an enriching leadership and PSQI experience through the implementation of faculty-mentored but student-led groups at the core of the curricular intervention. As students enter their clinical years, their first-hand PSQI experience will serve them well in increasing their capacity and confidence to take on leadership roles.