Doctors Must Lead Change, Not Just Treat Patients, Indonesian Educators Argue

Indonesian medical education faces a critical challenge: developing faculty who can lead change, not just teach.

While society expects doctors to be decisive leaders, the academic environment often overlooks the formal cultivation of these skills in educators. The assumption that leadership emerges automatically with appointments like department head is flawed. True leadership is built over time, and its development needs to be intentional.

Medical lecturers today juggle complex roles as educators, clinicians, researchers, and administrators. Leadership is no longer an optional extra but a core professional competency. Fortunately, research indicates that many lecturers have already developed essential leadership foundations through their daily experiences – guiding students, collaborating in teams, and navigating conflicts.

However, these organically grown skills are insufficient for the future. A significant gap exists between current competencies and the future needs, which include transformational leadership, strategic planning, and conflict management. The focus must shift from merely managing to actively transforming healthcare and education. This requires a proactive approach to leadership development, ensuring educators are equipped to envision and implement necessary changes.