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Evaluation of Executive Leadership Program for Women in Academic Medicine Found "Tangible Benefits" for Participants
Evaluating the number of women leaders in academic medicine
The Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women (ELAM program) is a leadership training fellowship program at Drexel University College of Medicine (formerly MCP Hahnemann University). The program seeks to help qualified senior women faculty advance into and succeed in leadership positions in academic medicine and dentistry.
From 2001 to 2006, ELAM project staff and evaluators at George Washington University evaluated the effectiveness of this program through surveys and interviews. They assessed:
- The impact of the ELAM program on the fellows' leadership and career development.
- The impact of the presence of ELAM program fellows on their schools' climate regarding women's issues.
- How women develop into leaders.
Key Findings:
- For 15 of 16 leadership indicators, ELAM fellows scored higher than other senior women faculty at medical schools. The differences were statistically significant for 12 indicators.
- Deans of medical and dental schools indicated slight to moderate agreement (range of 5.11 to 6.15 on a 7 point scale) that the ELAM program had a positive effect on the school.
- Some 95 percent of ELAM fellows indicated the program provided benefits in building a critical component of leadership, self-efficacy (the belief in the capability to attain goals).