Transforming Clinical Education While Addressing System Gaps: Student Leadership Experiences (SLEs)

Abstract

Health and social care systems are increasingly characterized by complexity, resource constraints, and evolving service demands, requiring educational models that prepare learners to navigate and lead within dynamic environments. Student Leadership Experiences (SLEs) are proposed as a theory-informed educational model that extends beyond traditional workplace-based learning by intentionally integrating system responsiveness, collaborative leadership, and interprofessional engagement. SLEs are structured around identified system or practice gaps and position students not only as participants in existing workflows, but as contributors to workplace-based innovation. Grounded in constructivist and transformative educational orientations, the model emphasizes dialogic engagement, adaptive expertise, and shared leadership across clinical, educational, and community partners. This article articulates the essential elements of a Transformative SLE approach and outlines operational considerations for its enactment, including partnership development, facilitation team alignment, curriculum design, safety, evaluation, and sustainability planning. By offering a principled yet flexible framework, this work aims to support greater conceptual clarity and coherence in the design and implementation of Transformative SLEs across diverse health professions contexts.