What does leadership in medicine mean?

[Xenoblade]

This is a serious question.

Everyone talks about important leadership is in medicine. But I don't understand how physicians are leaders. I have shadowed physicians in multiple settings (private practice, large hospitals, clinics, and etc.), so I have seen physicians in action. I know physicians are in charge of the health care teams and make life saving decisions. They delegate important tasks to other team members in the health care team. They train and mentor others. But, I just don't understand what makes them leaders.

I understand how MBA's and JD's are leaders. They are CEO's, congressmen, judges, and etc. But how are physicians leaders?

I feel like I am missing some bit of information that will make this concept click with me.

Thanks in advance.

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[Euxox]

I understand how MBA's and JD's are leaders. They are CEO's, congressmen, judges, and etc. But how are physicians leaders?

Doctors lead clinical care teams. Heading a team is literally the definition of leadership. Why isn't that enough to make them leaders?

Leadership happens on all scales, big and small. Sure, leadership may account for a larger fraction of the daily responsibilities of CEOs and congressmen, and the average CEOs or congressmen is probably a more experienced leader than the average physician, but that doesn't mean leadership isn't important for physicians. Organizing a team is leadership. If a doctor doesn't get along well with his or her staff, or if his/her staff members don't get along well with each other, then the clinical team won't be working at full effectiveness. Keep in mind that even though CEOs and congressmen are in charge of thousands of people, they only deal directly with a very small number of people (VPs, chiefs of staff). So I don't think that their form of leadership is all that different from the way a doctor works with his or her clinical team.

 

[DoctorWhoo]

To further that, doctors often end up finding themselves in administrative roles within the hospital later in their careers... This certainly requires leadership ability as you move beyond managing a healthcare team into managing a healthcare staff.

 

[Ismet]

I know physicians are in charge of the health care teams and make life saving decisions. They delegate important tasks to other team members in the health care team. They train and mentor others.

What exactly is your definition of leadership if the above sentences do not qualify as leadership? All of those things you mentioned are leadership qualities.

Leaders are in charge and make important decisions. Leaders delegate. Leaders lead others through training and mentorship.

 

[The Buff OP]

I know physicians are in charge of the health care teams and make life saving decisions. They delegate important tasks to other team members in the health care team. They train and mentor others. But, I just don't understand what makes them leaders.

This is leadership.

 

[QofQuimica]

What exactly is your definition of leadership if the above sentences do not qualify as leadership? All of those things you mentioned are leadership qualities.

Leaders are in charge and make important decisions. Leaders delegate. Leaders lead others through training and mentorship.

This. I'm not sure where the OP's confusion lies either.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Read leadership in healthcare by gunderman.

 

[circulus vitios]

Physicians aren't leaders.

 

[NickNaylor]

Physicians aren't leaders.

2edgy4me

Although if you're making a general observation, I'd have to agree with you. The residents that will be in charge of you effectively act as managers, and the good majority of them do an absolutely ****ty job of it based on my experience. Physicians are leaders in the same sense that a team lead or immediate supervisor is in the corporate world, if not moreso. Whether you call that a "leader" or not comes down to semantics, but in the in-patient setting at least residents and attendings absolutely operate in a leadership role. In a private practice setting then that role is even more legitimate.