Teaching physicians to lead the PMI way

Issue: BCMJ, vol. 51, No. 2, March 2009, Page 65 News
By: Steve Wharry,

When the CMA launched its Physician Manager Institute (PMI) program almost three decades ago, the goal was to give physicians the knowledge and skills to effectively participate in the management of issues that had traditionally been dealt with by health care managers and administrators. Twenty-seven years later the goal remains the same, but the methods used to achieve it are changing.

The redesigned PMI has evolved to support learning across the full continuum of professional activities undertaken by physicians, as outlined by initiatives such as the Royal College’s CanMEDS professional development model. These core competencies for physicians include medical expert, communicator, collaborator, health advocate, manager, scholar, and professional, and this CanMEDS model now serves as the foundation for all leadership courses within the PMI curriculum.

Designed collaboratively with phy­sicians, the PMI curriculum is delivered as a set of interactive workshops held in classrooms, online, or on site in hospitals where the MD students learn from leading faculty and peers registered in the course.

The program has three levels: foundation, focused, and advanced. The advanced courses represent the evolution of the PMI program over the past 20 years and are targeted at physician-managers and leaders who have completed the foundation courses but are seeking more training in specific areas.

The 2.5-day courses are offered throughout the year and feature training in strategic planning, health human resource management, finance and economics, and increasing strategic influence.

For further information and to add your name to the mailing list, e-mail professional_development@cma.ca or visit www.cma.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/86920/la_id/1.htm.

The PMI program qualifies for CME credits.

—Steve Wharry
CMA Communications

Steve Wharry,. Teaching physicians to lead the PMI way. BCMJ, Vol. 51, No. 2, March, 2009, Page(s) 65 - News.


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