Military Physicians’ Perceptions of Their Leadership Training

Abstract

Healthcare systems present multifaceted operational and leadership challenges stemming from the vulnerable nature of healthcare work and external factors such as social conditions and policies. Within the Military Healthcare System (MHS), leadership challenges are compounded by unique characteristics such as deployed settings, hierarchical structures, and readiness requirements. Despite these challenges, a gap exists in understanding effective leadership training for military physician leaders. Our study addressed this gap by exploring perceptions of military physician leaders regarding influential leadership, their past experiences with leadership training, and the leadership challenges they have faced within military medicine.