The Assessment of Leadership Competencies in First-Year Undergraduate Medical Students

This study aimed to assess the views and leadership competencies of incoming medical students and determine whether leadership traits predicted patient-centeredness in these students. Incoming medical students at one institution from 2017-2020 (N=428) completed a Leadership Needs Assessment assessing self-reported ability and the importance of competency in teamwork, selfless service, integrity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. Participants in the entering class of 2020 (n=92) also completed the Johns Hopkins University Patient-Centeredness Assessment to evaluate patient-centered attitudes. This cohort repeated both surveys at the completion of the first year to assess for changes in the perceived importance of leadership qualities, self-reported competencies, and patient-centeredness. Participants self-reported the highest competency (mean, SD) in integrity (7.92, 1.19) and the lowest in critical thinking (6.59, 1.12). Leadership Development Opportunity (difference between leadership expectation and self-reported ability) was largest in teamwork (2.31, 1.11) and smallest in integrity (0.97, 1.18). Post-first-year assessments were compared in the 2020 cohort, and statistically significant increases (mean, p-value) were found in critical thinking (0.31, p