Defining Leadership in Undergraduate Medical Education, Networks, and Instructors: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Reviews of the literature on leadership training in undergraduate medical education have been conducted since 2014. Previous reviews have not identified networks, defined leadership, studied the selection criteria for instructors, nor analyzed leadership as interprofessional or transprofessional education. This scoping review fills these gaps. Inclusion criteria included use of competency-based education to teach leadership in universities, and quality assessment. Indexes and grey literature in Spanish, Portuguese, and English languages were included from six databases. Hand searching and consultation were employed for selected bodies of literature. This review identified leadership interventions in nine countries which had national and international networks primarily in English-speaking and European countries. No literature was found in Spanish-speaking or Portuguese-speaking countries, nor in Africa. Teaching leadership was linked mainly with undergraduate medical education and interprofessional education. This review identified 23 leadership and leader definitions and underscored the importance of including values in leadership definitions. Instructors were selected by discipline, role, experience, and expertise. This review may be used to inform the teaching of leadership in undergraduate medical curricula by suggesting potential networks, reflecting on diverse leadership definitions and interprofessional/transprofessional education, and assisting in selection of instructors.