Project management and leadership: practical tips for medical school leaders

Background: Academic project work is a common practice in medical education to address complex crossdisciplinary problems. A progressive career in academic medicine will include opportunities to lead such projects, mobilizing temporary groups of individuals to achieve project goals. There is little guidance, however, on how academic projects should be structured and supported. Aim: We provide a guide to deepen understanding of the tools and approaches available for leading academic projects. Methods: Our framework, adapted from Edmondson (2012b) organizes guidance under the categories of project management activities and project leadership principles. We used this framework to develop practical tips based on current literature and our experience. Results: We identified practical tips and guidelines for leading and managing academic projects. We also offer a sample project management template designed for the medical school setting. Conclusion: Concepts from organizational leadership and project management literature can be applied to the medical education setting to improve the likelihood of successful academic projects.