Nabil-Sultan-scaled

Developing character-based leadership in medical education

Dr. Nabil Sultan

Award: Phoenix Project Fellowship (2018)


Co-Sponsor: Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry

Themes:
  • Leadership development
  • Medical education and curricula

Nabil’s fellowship focused on nurturing compassionate care using character-based leadership (CBL). CBL is a leadership education approach that stresses a commitment to values and principles in the face of everyday situational pressures. CBL emphasizes a sense of a higher purpose, as well as integrity and commitment to one’s principles. It helps leaders do the right things when times are challenging. Compassion is a core element of the CBL framework.

Nabile used CBL in his AMS-funded fellowship to: 

  • Adapt an Ivey Business School framework to CBL so it could work in the practice of medicine
  • Raise awareness about CBL
  • Conduct qualitative research about the potential for using CBL in medical education
  • Build a network of individuals who could champion CBL in their local environments

His efforts contributed to a better appreciation of the importance of character development in medicine. He’s hopeful that we’ll see a stronger commitment from medical educators and practitioners to using character development in their work.