Leadership, Innovation, and Competency-Based Reform: Institutional Drivers of Medical Education Transformation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64784/141Keywords:
Transformational leadership, competency-based medical education, academic innovation, medical education reform, programmatic assessment, entrustable professional activities, health systems strengthening, leadership development, global accreditation standardsAbstract
Medical education is undergoing a structural transformation driven by the need to align professional training with evolving health system demands. This study analyzes the integration of transformational leadership, academic innovation, and competency-based medical education (CBME) within an international comparative framework involving Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador. Using a structured analytical approach grounded in leadership theory, CBME frameworks, and global quality standards, the study examines implementation maturity, assessment practices, innovation adoption, and their interrelationships at the institutional level. The results demonstrate differentiated levels of CBME maturity across national contexts and reveal a consistent positive association between transformational leadership profiles and CBME implementation strength. Academic innovation adoption also parallels maturity patterns, suggesting that structured innovation mechanisms contribute to the operationalization of competency frameworks. An interaction analysis indicates that the highest maturity levels occur when leadership capacity and innovation adoption are jointly elevated. These findings support the conceptualization of CBME as a systemic reform requiring coordinated governance, assessment modernization, and leadership development. The integration of transformational leadership and academic innovation emerges as a strategic pathway for strengthening medical education quality and alignment with international accreditation standards.
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