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Footer C.B.1, Tsegaye H.S.2,3, Yitnagashaw T.A.2,4, Mekonnen W.2,4, Shiferaw T.D.2,5, Davis A.6
1Regis University, School of Physcial Therapy, Denver, United States, 2Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 3Armed Force Referral and Teaching Hospital, Physiotherapy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 4Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 5Alert Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 6Regis University, Denver, United States
Background: The physiotherapy (PT) profession in Ethiopia is relatively young in the context of other health professions. Professional growing pains are overtly evident and have dampened professional advancement and general motivation to pursue a career in PT throughout the country. The numerous challenges encountered by the PT profession are daunting. Limitations in human, physical, and fiscal resource capacity, salary compensation, continuing professional development opportunities, personal motivation, universal recognition and support for the profession, faculty shortages, and academic programs have contributed to the profession's development challenges. The summative impact on the profession calls for innovation in leadership development to empower Ethiopia to make positive strides and advance profession. Addis Ababa University (AAU) answered the call and embedded a formalized a leadership curriculum within a newly developed doctor of physiotherapy (DPT) program.
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to relate details of the DPT leadership curriculum to the context of empowerment of the PT profession in Ethiopia.
Methods: AAU matriculated 17 registered Ethiopian PTs into a 4-year Advanced Standing DPT program in 2010 with the intent that they be developed into core faculty for a future 6-year Generic DPT program. In addition to increasing the breadth and depth of didactic and practical components, an intentional leadership curriculum was infused as an integral component of the program. The curriculum exposed students to different leadership models, assessment tools, and conflict management strategies. Students engaged in reflection of leadership theories to gain perspectives on their personal leadership styles and those of others. Emphasis progressed from leading from within to leading others. Students individually and collectively reflected on personal and professional values and future roles and responsibilities within the Ethiopian health sector. They deliberated in small and large groups on potential causes and solutions for the challenges faced by the profession. Collectively, the students identified a number of professional values that they believed could lead the profession forward in Ethiopia. The group then coupled the professional values with their personal values and worked together to develop action verbs (empower, promote, work, demonstrate, strive, pursue, and engage) to accompany the personal and professional values.
Results: The leadership curriculum had two primary outcomes, personal mission statements and individual leadership projects. First, students applied the reflective process to develop personal mission statements to guide their journey as leaders as faculty and practitioners. Second, in preparation to put leadership skills into action, students identified and began to implement personal leadership projects. These projects reflected the added value of including leadership development in the DPT curriculum as a mechanism to motivate and empower PTs to address the challenges n Ethiopia.
Conclusion(s): Intentional leadership development awakens the leader within Ethiopian DPT students. It offers leadership strategies, and also inspires, motivates, and empowers PTs to engage as positive change agents to drive the profession forward.
Implications: Leadership capacity dwells within most PTs. Providing formalized opportunities to explore personal and professional leadership capacity can potentially empower PTs to successfully advocate for the advancement of the profession in countries where the profession is in still developing.
Funding acknowledgements: The Jackson Clinics Foundation, LLC generously funded the development of the program at AAU.
Topic: Education
Ethics approval: This was not a formal research study and did not require IRB approval from my institution.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
