How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Demonstrated a Need for Increased Leadership Education in Medicine

Grant H Cabell, Aderike Anjorin, Meghan Price, Sonali Biswas, Joseph P Doty Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USACorrespondence: Grant H CabellDuke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical, Center 3710 Erwin Road, Durham, NC, 27710, USATel +1 919 688-1894Fax +1 919 681-6357Email ghc9@duke.eduAbstract: The healthcare system in the United States has been taxed in various ways throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing healthcare facilities to their breaking point. This has forced decision-makers in healthcare to make difficult choices, highlighting the need for effective leadership. However, there are little intentional leadership development curricula in medical education. Leadership skills can be taught and acquired similar to other skills in medical school, and we believe medical education institutions should cultivate these skills in their trainees. We hope that this will help inspire change in medical education curricula to intentionally teach and develop leadership skills in their students.Keywords: medical education, curriculum, leadership, development