Tomorrow’s Physicians’ Perceptions of How Physicians Should Be Led and Their Interest in Pursuing Leadership Positions

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated tomorrow’s physicians’ - medical students’ - perceptions of how physicians should be led and their interest in pursuing leadership positions as these issues have never been studied in Finland. In 2020, an online questionnaire was distributed to final-year medical students (n = 162, response rate 110/68%). Students’ level of interest in working as physician leaders in the future was also investigated. An inductive content analysis by thematization was the chosen method. To make leadership successful in the medical profession, both leadership and management skills are required. Physicians should be seen as individuals and should be led by a trustable, reachable, innovative, and visionary physician leader who participates in patient work in addition to leadership work with good social, communication, and problem-solving skills as well as common sense and emotional intelligence. Furthermore, a good leader ensures that physicians can focus on their medical work with appropriate resources in well-functioning conditions. Our study revealed three novel results: (1) A good physician leader reflects the virtues of a good physician; (2) physicians’ workload should be customized according to factors such as physicians’ diversity and work competence; and (3) the interest in future leadership among medical students was greater compared to the findings of previous literature.