ObjectivesLeadership 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.MethodsThe 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.ResultsA 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.ConclusionThe 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.