Last updated: Oct. 24, 2023

Programs with Significant Mentoring Components

ADFM

• ADFM LEADS Fellowship: Leadership Education for Academic Development and Success – for faculty aspiring to be senior leaders.
• Administrator’s Mentorship Program. A formal mentoring program that pairs seasoned ADFM Administrators with new ADFM Administrators (less than 3 years) in family medicine departments that are closely related. 
• New Chairs Advising and an Interim Chair Hotline

STFM

• STFM both offers and lists on its website multiple Family Medicine leadership/mentorship opportunities at various developmental stages from several organizations – from the ABFM Visiting Scholars Program to the Family Medicine Health Equity Fellowship Program to the Emerging Leaders Fellowship
• STFM also offers a Virtual Coach Program 

NAPCRG

• Grant Generating Project (GGP) for budding researchers.

AFMRD

• National Institute for Program Director Development (NIPPD) – development program to enhance knowledge, attitudes, and skills in order for participants to become effective residency program directors. 

AAFP

• Finding a mentor in medicine
• Robert Graham Center: Robert L. Phillips, Jr., Health Policy Fellowship Program -one-year fellowship in health policy and faculty development 
• Teaching of Tomorrow: sponsored by the Departments of Family and Community Health, IM, and Peds at UMass) – two weekend program in Central/Western Mass. Two levels are offered - Track 1 - Foundation of Clinical Teaching and Educational Planning and Track 2 - Building Your Career as a Clinician Educator. 

AAMC

• AAMC offers various in-person programming for different career stages and positions – seminars for Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development to Leadership Educational and Development (LEAD) Certificate Program. 

ELAM

• ​Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women and ELH - Executive Leadership in Academic Health Care, sponsored by Drexel University for senior leaders. 

AAPL

• Offers Advanced Degrees and Certification Programs for physician leadership, including a Certified Physician Executive (CPE) program and master’s program

Health Management Academy

• Health Management Academy Physician Leadership Program. Limited to health systems who are members of the Academy. 6-month program designed to accelerate leadership growth. Academy GE Fellows program, 2-year program focused on senior leader development.  

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity

• A range of programs that include free programming to a Faculty Success Program, a 12-week coached program with weekly videos, daily check-ins, and weekly coaching calls. 

Other Considerations

• There are many, top tier degree programs in Healthcare Management. These include MBA with a healthcare focus, Master’s in Public Health, Master’s in Medical Management, Master’s in Health System’s Administration. Many have “executive” format which facilitates on-line learning, evening/weekend with intermittent on-site coursework over the course of 1-2 years. 
• Zen Leader: Most people struggle to stay effective and energized in these wildly disruptive times; we combine the Zen breakthrough of ego with embodied leadership skills, so they can lead with purpose, joy and resilience and get breakthrough results. 
• "Family of FM" list of leadership development opportunities kindly housed by STFM:
• GBA Professional Development Toolkit

Related publications: 

• Seehusen DA, Rogers TS, Al Achkar M, Chang T. Coaching, Mentoring, and Sponsoring as Career Development Tools. Fam Med. 2021;53(3):175-180. https://doi.org/10.22454/FamMed.2021.341047.
• Galke, Curtis L., and Jennifer W. Swoyer. “Mentoring in Family Medicine Education.” The Annals of Family Medicine, vol. 18, no. 2, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2527. 
• Hernandez-Lee J, Pieroway A. Mentorship for early-career family physicians: Is there a role for the First Five Years in Family Practice Committee and the CFPC?. Can Fam Physician. 2018;64(11):861-862.
• Developing a Culture of Mentorship to Strengthen Academic Medical Centers Choi, Augustine M.K. MD; Moon, Jennifer E. PhD; Steinecke, Ann PhD; Prescott, John E. MD Academic Medicine: May 2019 - Volume 94 - Issue 5 - p 630-633 doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000002498
• Independent investigator incubator (I3): a comprehensive mentorship program to jumpstart productive research careers for junior faculty John Paul Spence, Jennifer L. Buddenbaum, Paula J. Bice, Julie L. Welch & Aaron E. Carroll  BMC Medical Education volume 18, Article number: 186 (2018) 
• Sorkness, C.A., Pfund, C., Ofili, E.O. et al. A new approach to mentoring for research careers: the National Research Mentoring Network. BMC Proc 11, 22 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12919-017-0083-8
• Wingard DL, Garman KA, Reznik V. Facilitating faculty success: Outcomes and cost benefit of the UCSD National Center of Leadership in Academic Medicine. Acad Med. 2004;79(10 suppl):S9–S11.
• Coe C, Piggott C, Davis A, et al. Leadership Pathways in Academic Family Medicine: Focus on Underrepresented Minorities and Women. Fam Med. 2020;52(2):104-111. https://doi.org/10.22454/FamMed.2020.545847.

Last updated: June 2025

Helen Y. Chang

• Contact info: helen.chang@hycconsult.com 
• Recommended by Jehni Robinson
• Testimonial: Helen helped us debrief 360 evals and then set brief individual goals with selected leaders and provided action-oriented behavior change focused coaching.  I saw significant improvements in several of my leaders who participated.

Carol A. McLysaght

• Contact info: Carol@McLysaght.com
• Recommended by Kimi Suh
• Testimonial: I also have a great recommendation who has tons of experience in high level executive coaching.  Although I have not been coached by her myself, I have met many others who speak highly of her professional assessments and insightful recommendations.  She works out of Chicago but works with multiple clients throughout the US. http://www.mclysaght.com/

Dael Waxman

• Contact info: Dael.Waxman@atriumhealth.org 
• Recommended by Myra Muramoto 
• Testimonial: I have worked with Dr Dael Waxman in his role as a leadership coach for over four years. I found my coaching experience with Dr Waxman to be an immensely valuable experience. Early on as a new leader, Dr Waxman guided our discussions through incorporating helpful techniques on how to develop my leadership skills.  We worked extensively on how to control my own reactions and how to apply a mindful approach to leadership that allowed me to navigate complex situations and to better understand what motivates others. Each session was individually structured and tailored to my goals with relevant “homework assignments” in-between.  Over time, I sought out additional coaching sessions with Dr Waxman as I explored career advancement leadership opportunities. Dr Waxman brought additional coaching skills to these sessions that allowed me to think more clearly about the associated pros and cons. Throughout our sessions, Dr Waxman was well organized and consistently assisted me in bringing clarity and new ways of thinking to the topics we discussed.  I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to undergo this individualized, confidential, and very competent leadership coaching experience with Dr Waxman.   

Dale Lefever, Ph.D.

• Contact info: dlefever@umich.edu
• Recommended by Phil Zazove
• Testimonial: Dale Lefever, Ph.D. is the executive coach already for at least 3 family medicine chairs across North America. He also was a faculty in our Department at Michigan since it started in 1978 (is now emeritus). He also does this for at least 2 other non-Fam Med chairs at Michigan. His background includes doing this for Supreme Court justices, small non-profit and religious organizations, and other larger for-profit companies. He also led the national strategic planning effort for the United States Soccer team for the 1994 World Cup. He continues to informally coach faculty in leadership positions in University of Michigan's Department and primarily work with clinical chairs across all specialties. He also works with leaders in other fields, but have a special interest with those in medical leadership positions. 

David Dull, MD

• Contact info: david@compassexecutivecoaching.com 
• Recommended by Karen Mitchell
• Testimonial: He has been a coach of mine. He excels in systems-thinking and change. He has particular expertise in patient safety from a systems approach. While not a family physician, he brings experience as a Chief Medical Officer of several different systems and as an ACGME CLER reviewer.

Elena Jensen

• Contact info: elena@eilumen.net 
• Recommended by Thomas Peterson
• Testimonial: who provides leadership coaching here in Vermont, regionally, and nationally. She is great with new leaders and with expanding the skills of established leaders.  She is welcoming, brilliant and easy to get to know,  and my observation is that she will go the extra mile to help you to develop to your vision.  She uses a neuroscience and appreciative approach, and also blends in embodied leadership.  She'll give you self-work, and you will earn and own your progress.  I realize many of us may have our own positive coaching experiences, but I can wholeheartedly vouch for her.
• Testimonials can be found via this link: Testimonials (eilumen.net)

Elisabeth Wilson, MD, MPH, MS-HPEd

• Contact Info:  drelisabethwilsoncoach@gmail.com
• Recommended by: Alison Samitt
• Testimonial:  Beth’s coaching was invaluable to me as I adjusted to my new role as Family Medicine Department Chair. Swas thought-provoking, inspiring, and incredibly comforting as I strove to find my voice and fine-tune my goals and priorities. I’m indebted to her for helping position me for success as a chair.

Jeannette South-Paul

• Contact info: jsouthpaul@outlook.com 
• Recommended by Tochi Iroku-Malize
• Testimonial: I first met Dr. South-Paul when I joined the Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM) over a decade ago. She was my assigned mentor and it proved to be the start of a continued friendship. Dr. South-Paul was the Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine from 2001-2020. Her experience in academic medicine spans a number of decades and she has been able to advise many on matters that are relevant to family medicine department chairs on the academic, clinical, operational and research sections. Her activity as a leader in the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and the ADFM over the years has allowed her to amass a great network both within and outside our specialty, nationally and internationally. She has used these experiences to offer sage advice when discussing with peers, administrators, junior faculty, residents and students. Dr. South-Paul is sought after by many to provide. Currently, Dr South-Paul is the EVP and Provost at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN, serving as the chief academic leader for five schools – medicine, dentistry, graduate studies, applied computational sciences, and global health – providing her the perspective of interfacing across disciplines in both large and small institutions.

Jeff Smith, MA, PCC

• Contact info: jeff@fortifyleadershipgroup.com
• Recommended by Kim Roe
• Testimonial: I have attached a resource that you may be interested in passing forward. Jeff has been instrumental in helping our team at Carilion and well established in the healthcare sector. 

Jeri Hepworth 

• Contact info: hepworthjeri3@gmail.com
• Recommended by Dave Henderson
• Testimonial: I have had the honor, pleasure, and benefit of association with Dr. Jeri Hepworth for nearly four decades. I have been honored to have the privilege to learn from and work with her. The encounters I have had with her have been uplifting as they are consistently informed by her generosity of spirit. Over these many years, I have benefited greatly from her counsel and advice. I first met Dr. Hepworth when I was a resident, and she was a new faculty member. I benefited from her skill as an educator in those early years, and in the ensuing decades have benefited from her guidance and mentorship, as a colleague. Over my academic career, I have held a broader diversity of leadership positions at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine than any other faculty member in the recent history of the institution. At every transition in my career, I have sought input from Dr. Hepworth. Her facilitative guidance has been an invaluable contribution to the success I have managed to achieve. Her adherence to the highest standards of confidentiality is without question because trust is a foundational element of all her interactions. Academic Family Medicine is fortunate to have among its membership such a skilled and experienced leader.

Karen Conrad and Associates, LLC

• Contact info: KEConrad@verizon.net | 804-221-7124
• Recommended by Allison Dobbie
• Testimonial: Karen is personal executive coach to two of my department leaders.
• She also presented a 6-part leadership development/team building session for our senior team. She's going to repeat it starting January for new faculty. Karen is knowledgeable, kind and supportive. I would particularly recommend her for new leaders who need some extra TLC to transition into their roles. Karen is based in Virginia, provides in person and virtual coaching. Please feel free to reach out to Karen directly or to me if you prefer.
  

Mountain Top Consulting

• Contact info: https://mtopconsulting.com/
• Recommended by Sarah Rahman
• Testimonial: I recommend Mountain Top Consulting owned and operated by Precious Williams Owodunni.

Peter Nalin MD MBA CPE FAAFP HCC

• Contact info: pnalin@d.umn.edu; pnalin@mac.com
• Qualifications: IU Kelley Physician MBA ‘19; Hudson Certified Coach; ADFM Treasurer 2024-2025
• When you're facing a challenge or opportunity, there's only so much you can accomplish from thinking on your own. Yet, engaging a coach can be transformational in your work and in your life. A coach is professionally prepared to help you navigate a transition, an improvement, a frustration, an aspiration, in fact anything that helps the client grow from 'what is' to 'what's next.' I have experienced four series of coaching engagements in my life and the impacts upon me have been transformative. With a coach, I have gained more clarity of purpose, less conflicts, and better listening skills because of what I chose to improve with the help of my coach. Without a coach, I would likely still be stuck in usual ways of thinking and responding. Of course I am still Peter, yet I'm living and working as a better version of myself. As a result of coaching I am enjoying the ups and overcoming the downs of real life: stronger, clearer, and more satisfied than any prior decade of my life. To you as a member or associate of ADFM, I applaud your pursuit of personal and professional growth, and I encourage you to try working with me as your coach to bring forward the next steps of growth in your life. Please contact me directly to schedule a 1:1 chemistry call to discuss your interest and goals for coaching. Thank you.

Sheldon Romer

• Contact Info: sheldonromer@comcast.net | (303) 541-9296
• Recommended by: Donald Nease
• Testimonial: I highly recommend Sheldon Romer, who has worked with myself and several other leaders in our Department and others here at CU. Sheldon is very good at helping one focus on the ways in which your own blindspots inhibit your effectiveness as a leader, fostering reflective leadership rather than reactive.
• Recommended by: David Clute
• Testimonial #2: I would like to recommend Sheldon Romer. He has a website where you can find his contact information (www.SheldonRomer.com). Sheldon was recommended to us by another Department in our School over five years ago, and we have used him extensively since then. Prior to becoming a leadership consultant, Sheldon was the CEO of a fairly large company here in Colorado. He has worked with dozens of faculty on our campus and is very familiar with academic medicine. Our Chair, Frank deGruy, has also worked closely with Sheldon over the last two years has he has been preparing to step down as Chair at the end of this month.

Last updated: May 2025

• Institute for Healthcare Improvement: Attending IHI’s conference equips family medicine academic chairs with innovative quality improvement strategies and frameworks, enabling them to enhance patient care and operational efficiency in their departments.
• American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE): This organization is known for advancing healthcare management excellence, and supporting our vision to improve patient health.
• American Association of Physician Leaders (AAPL):  Participation in AAPL’s conference empowers academic chairs to develop leadership skills, focusing on effective healthcare delivery and strategic decision-making in family medicine departments.
• American Medical Group Association (AMGA): By attending the AMGA conference, family medicine leaders gain access to best practices in clinical integration and care coordination, which are crucial for improving patient outcomes and managing healthcare resources effectively.
• Medical Group Management Association (MGMA): Geared towards professionals who lead medical practices.
• American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA): Attending AMIA’s conference offers insights into the latest developments in medical informatics, equipping academic leaders with the knowledge to integrate technology effectively into family medicine education and practice.
• National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS) - For those interested in ACO or other value based care systems
• National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) - for those in the FQHC world
• Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC): Participation in AAMC’s conference allows academic chairs to engage with medical education leaders, explore curriculum innovations, and address the challenges of training future family medicine physicians
• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Attending ACGME’s conference is crucial for family medicine academic chairs as it provides insights into updated accreditation standards, residency program evaluation, and innovative educational practices, ensuring their programs meet national benchmarks for quality and effectiveness in medical training.
• World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) Participation in WONCA's conference offers family medicine academic chairs the opportunity to engage with global leaders in family medicine, share best practices, and discuss international standards in primary care, fostering collaboration that can enhance the quality and delivery of family medicine education and practice worldwide.
• Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
• Becker Hospital Review
• Vizient
• Epic User Group Meeting (UGM)
• Epic Expert Group Meeting (XGM) - details for 2026 tbd

Family Medicine conferences: Mostly centered around academics

• STFM: STFM’s conference focuses on enhancing family medicine education, offering academic chairs strategies for improving teaching methodologies and fostering a supportive learning environment.
• STFM MSE: Attending the STFM MSE conference allows academic chairs to explore cutting-edge approaches to medical education, enhancing their departments’ ability to train competent and compassionate family medicine physicians.
• STFM Conference on Practice and Quality Improvement: This conference provides family medicine leaders with practical tools and strategies to implement quality improvement initiatives, ultimately enhancing patient care within their departments.
• Residency Leadership Summit (RLS): Participation in RLS empowers academic chairs to develop leadership skills and strategies for cultivating effective residency programs, focusing on the future of family medicine training.
• AAFP FUTURES Conference : Attending the AAFP FUTURES Conference allows academic chairs to engage in discussions with students and residents about the future of family medicine, exploring innovative ideas and collaborative approaches to address emerging challenges in the field. A great resource for recruitment of residents and faculty and also a leadership opportunity for the students and residents.
• NAPCRG: The NAPCRG conference provides valuable insights and networking opportunities regarding primary care research, enabling family medicine leaders to advance their understanding of evidence-based practices nationally and internationally and improve patient outcomes.