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Objectives This study aims to evaluate a leadership fellowship program through perspectives of Ethiopian women medical faculty participants. Methods An intensive two-week leadership development fellowship was designed for women faculty from Ethiopian medical schools and conducted from 2011-2015 at the University of Wisconsin-School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin. Nine Ethiopian women working in early- or mid-level academic positions were selected. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the fellows. Transcripts were reviewed through qualitative analysis to assess the perceived impact of the training on their careers. Three male academic leaders were interviewed to solicit feedback on the program. Results Eight of 9 fellows were interviewed. Themes describing the benefits of the fellowship included: increased awareness of gender inequities; enhanced motivation for career advancement; increased personal confidence; and improved leadership skills. Fellows provided suggestions for future training and scaling up efforts to promote gender equity. Male leaders described the benefits of men promoting gender equity within academic health centers. Conclusions This paper provides evidence that targeted brief training programs can enhance women's motivation and skills to become effective leaders in academic medicine in Ethiopia. Promoting gender equity in academic medicine is an important strategy to address health workforce shortages and to provide professional role models for female students in the health professions.

The Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is contributing to the transformation of medical training in Africa. In this paper, medical students present their perspective on how MEPI initiatives have influenced five key areas related to African medical trainees: educational infrastructure, information technology, community-based training, scientific research, and professional outlook and goals. They propose three new areas of focus that could further assist MEPI in bettering medical training in Africa.