Leadership Education and Development Scholarship Program

As a medical student I had the pleasure being part of a talented group of students and passion educators to create the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Scholarship Program at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. The program is dedicated to training Canada’s next generation of physicians to be leaders.

The impetuous from the program came from the fact that currently there is no clear path for students who aspire to leadership positions in healthcare. A focus groups led by the Canadian Medical Association indicated that most physicians who find themselves in leadership positions have ended up there accidentally. The void in healthcare leadership is becoming an increasingly recognized issue.

LEAD gives graduates the foundation of skills and experience necessary to realize their full potential as local, national and international healthcare leaders. Graduates are committed to improving health care and the health of our communities.

The program meets a number of needs in healthcare. LEAD hopes to fill a void in physician leadership education, starting at the earliest stage of medical training – first year of medical school. The program also provides medical students with a program that is sensitive to their learning needs, their time constraints and their financial circumstances. LEAD also benefits the medical school community and community at large through improved leadership among medical students.