Background The Scottish Clinical Leadership Fellowship (SCLF) is a 1-year programme to help medical and dental specialty trainees develop as future clinical leaders for the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland. This preliminary programme evaluation combines qualitative and quantitative data from the 2016/2017 SCLF cohort. It will lay the foundation for a future more detailed evaluation study.

Methods Data from written reflections were combined with accounts from a residential day and results of an anonymous survey. The survey considered the various personal development activities of the SCLF and how fellows’ perspectives had changed over the year. Results were thematically analysed.

Results The 2016/2017 cohort comprised 12 doctors. Fellows were left with highly positive views of the SCLF and their ability to influence their NHS organisation on return to practice. Personal reflections were assessed in six different themes, while the lessons fellows identified felt would shape their future clinical careers centred around personal behaviour, how fellows interacted with teams and their organisation, and improved leadership skills in general.

Conclusion This preliminary programme evaluation is the first such exercise completed on the SCLF. The highly positive findings have helped shape the programme for the subsequent cohort and will inform a future more detailed evaluation study.