Who would become a successful Dean of Faculty of Medicine: academic or clinician or administrator?

It has been a long tradition that the medical school dean is an expert in a specialist field with a well-established reputation in research and clinical services. Medical education is no longer simply disease orientated; it is required to put an emphasis on prevention, the need for better management of the health care system, and the need for a better understanding of the sociopolitical aspects of medical care. The deans of medical schools must appreciate the social role of medical education, and the social contract with the community. Although doctors might have difficulties with leadership because they are trained to work as individuals and to value highly their independence and autonomy, good communication skills are an asset for clinicians in management roles. It does not matter whether the background of the dean is academic, clinical or administrative; the most important thing is to possess the managerial skills to tackle the three-way tension between management, academic leadership and professional leadership. The job should be open to people with a good knowledge of and background in health and fiscal expertise, and also a high degree of management, diplomatic and interpersonal skills. Those skills should also be emphasized in the medical curriculum.