As part of Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) commitment to supporting the next generation of clinical leaders, three senior Qatari clinicians recently completed the New and Emerging Academic Leaders (NEAL) programme at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Faculty Development.

They were the second group of Qatari leaders identified to take part in the programme which involved studying at the campus in Canada as well as assignments and webinars completed while in Doha.
The three senior Qataris, supported by HMC’s Academic Health System Office and graduated from the highly competitive year-long programme earlier this year, are professor Ibrahim Janahi, executive director of research, and senior consultant and division chief, paediatric pulmonology, HMC; and professor of clinical paediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar; Dr Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi, chairman, cardiothoracic surgery, HMC and Dr Abdulaziz al-Hashemi, director of respiratory therapy and sleep laboratory, and senior consultant, pulmonary/sleep, HMC; and assistant professor of clinical medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar.
Professor Bill McKenna, institutional officer for research at HMC said the highly competitive programme attracts some of the best and brightest clinicians from around the globe.
“This course is an opportunity to share best practices and experiences that will ultimately bring real results for our patients and the community,” professor McKenna said. “A pillar of the HMC’s unique academic health system is to develop the next generation of clinical, academic and research leaders.
“This means developing a cadre of current and emerging leaders and providing them with opportunities to grow and develop.”
Professor McKenna said the programme involved not only intensive leadership coaching but also a focus on academia-specific leadership. He added that one of the most important facets of the programme involved giving participants the tools to become “ambassadors of change” in the health system.
The NEAL programme focuses on building skills and expertise in important domains that underpin academic leadership: intrapersonal, interpersonal, organisational and system. Equipping clinical leaders with these skills allows them to think more broadly, and helps them to successfully lead clinical areas, research and academic programmes, as well as to help their colleagues be successful.
Professor Janahi, one of the Qatari participants said: “The programme brought together a diverse group with different experiences but all who shared a commitment to delivering the best care possible to patients and the community. It focuses specifically on building leadership capabilities within a clinical and academic health context and has helped us to translate that learning and experience to help our patients in very real and tangible ways.”

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