Medical Education is Failing Its Future Leaders- Here’s How to Fix It
Medical Education is broken.
Not because it lacks rigor, but because it was never designed to develop the next generation of leaders- it was designed to reward those who don’t need it.
The best doctors aren’t always the ones who start at the top. But we’ve built a system that assumes they are, and that’s why we’re failing our future physicians.
The Problem
Medical education assumes that only a small percentage of residents will ever reach an "expert" level by graduation—and it’s structured to make that assumption true.
🔹 The ACGME milestone system explicitly states that Level 5 competency (the highest tier) is "aspirational" and that only a few will ever reach it.
🔹 But this isn’t about talent—it’s about design.
🔹 There is no post-residency structure to continue developing physicians beyond these arbitrary benchmarks.
🔹 There is no systemic investment in those who need the most growth. Instead, we pour resources into those who would thrive regardless of support.
The Result?
❌ Burnout, stagnation, and wasted potential.
❌ Residents without mentorship feel isolated and unsupported.
❌ A lack of structured, individualized learning limits growth and innovation.
❌ Patient care suffers because we aren’t building the strongest possible pipeline of physician leaders.
This isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s an unacceptable failure.
And it’s time to fix it.
The Solution: A 3-Part Fix
Step 1: Individualized Learning Plans from Day One
✅ Every resident should undergo early assessment to identify strengths, weaknesses, and learning needs.
✅ Specialties like Family Medicine and Pediatrics already emphasize Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs)—why aren’t we doing this across the board?
✅ This isn’t just an evaluation; it’s a blueprint for growth.
Step 2: Bias-Free, Structured Mentorship
✅ We need faculty training to provide objective, actionable feedback—not just subjective opinions.
✅ Structured mentorship should be a requirement, not a privilege.
✅ We need dedicated faculty mentors—not just evaluators.
Step 3: Long-Term Development Beyond Residency
✅ We don’t expect elite athletes to stop training after college—so why do we expect that from doctors?
✅ We need post-residency development programs to keep doctors growing.
✅ This means systematic follow-ups, ongoing leadership development, and real accountability.
The Call to Action
Medical education is designed for those who would succeed anyway. That’s why it’s failing its future leaders.
It’s time to change the system—not by adding more checkboxes, but by fundamentally rethinking who we invest in and how we train them.
To medical educators:
Are you mentoring only the top-tier students—or are you creating the next generation of top-tier physicians?
To Medical institutions:
Are you assessing potential—or just rewarding those who already have it?
The best doctors aren’t always the ones who start at the top.
But they should be the ones we invest in.