Abstract
The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a federal law that allowed millions of previously uninsured Americans access to medical insurance, dramatically changed the face of modern medicine. One of the significant challenges facing the successful implementation of the ACA is that the United States lacks a sufficient number of physicians and other healthcare professionals. Paired with this is an emphasis by institutions on physician leadership, along with an increased interest among physicians in assuming such roles. This need has informed the development of physician leadership programs, which allow physicians to pair their medical expertise with expertise in leadership. These programs will enable them to elevate their skills beyond those of competent healthcare professionals, providing immense value to institutions and patients. The aim of the study was to analyze the leadership experiences and characteristics of practicing physicians in the United States. This study explored leadership experiences from the physician’s view in order to understand what is required for effective leadership so that medical schools can implement the necessary changes to their undergraduate academic programs so that future generations of physicians are knowledgeable and encouraged to lead across all levels and areas of healthcare. The relevance of this research is that not only is it essential for healthcare organizations to attract physicians who have leadership skills and training, but it is also equally important that medical schools understand the need for medical students to enter into the healthcare workforce with a thorough understanding of the concept of leadership. Using a qualitative research methodology, this research study found that physicians understand that the future of healthcare is dependent on doctors having the ability to take the lead in decisions at all levels of healthcare by developing the necessary leadership skills to become not only patient advocates but also leaders in healthcare.| Keywords: Physician leadership, professional development, leadership training