Does doctoral education equate to greater leadership skills?

From the desk of Dr. Kilgore, Past-President ADPA

I am often asked if advanced training in business or executive management is appropriate for the Physician Associate to participate in leadership roles within healthcare systems. That is often followed by “within my system or with my current role”  or “I cannot see the pathway forward for me” to obtain advanced degrees. Clearly, it is system dependent, whether it be in a healthcare system clinical role, or in academia where PAs do hold a variety of leadership roles, but often struggle in tenure, promotion and sitting in higher level executive positions.

In an era marked by rapid change and complex challenges, the demand for effective leadership has never been more critical. I published a manuscript based upon my work in earning my Doctor of Executive Leadership this year that explored the transformative impact of doctoral-level education on leadership effectiveness across various sectors, including healthcare and education.

I, through a comprehensive review of recent literature, examined how advanced scholarship fosters critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and strategic insight, which are essential traits for successful leadership. The methodology involves a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles, books, and other scholarly resources published within the past decade, utilizing databases such as PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar.

So what was the bottom line? The findings revealed that doctoral education significantly enhances leadership capabilities, particularly in areas such as transformational leadership, ethical leadership, and emotional intelligence. The discussion within the published article highlighted the implications of these findings for leadership development programs and offers recommendations for future research.

This work underscored the importance of advanced education in cultivating visionary leaders who can drive meaningful change in their respective fields. This is often transformational for many PAs who do desire to have more input into strategic decisions that impact access to and the delivery of healthcare.

Reference:

Kilgore, James R. (2025) "Leading with a Doctorate: The Impact of Advanced Scholarship on Leadership Effectiveness," Lynchburg Journal of Medical Science: Vol. 1: Iss. 3, Article 2.DOI: https://doi.org/10.63932/3067-7106.1047Available at: https://digitalshowcase.lynchburg.edu/jms/vol1/iss3/2