The Path to Physician Leadership: An Introductory Course
A certificate program created in partnership with University of Texas – Dallas, Alliance for Physician Leadership and the Physician Leadership Career Network
"From Healer to Leader"
Course Introduction
For physicians who feel they are destined to lead, The Path to Physician Leadership is designed to be the starting point of your journey. Here is where you will learn what’s needed in experience, what unique skillsets you need to develop, and the knowledge required to plot a customized plan to reach your end-goal… no matter your starting point or what that looks like for you.
Qualifications for enrollment: Must be a physician with a current M.D. or D.O. from an accredited program
Residents, Chief Residents and Fellows are encouraged to enroll if you believe leadership is your calling!
Tuition: $997 USD
Program Enhancement
We’ve modified our format to be a “rolling” program. This means you can register and jump in at any point without having to wait for the next cohort. You’ll also be able to make up any missed sessions during the next go-rounds. Attendees will have 24 months access from the first session to complete the program. This creates a much more flexible format to meet your busy schedules!
Who should enroll?
- Those who feel they are driven to lead
- Those who want to create their path to ensure they become the best version of themselves
- Physicians who feel they are at a pivotal point in their career and considering leadership as the next step for them
- Early career physicians wanting to prepare for leadership skills to enhance their practice and ability to grow professionally
- Physicians wanting off the hamster wheel, knowing there’s more they can do than strictly clinical practice
- Those wanting to lead solutions and help others create a better work environment and patient experience
- Physicians that have been trying to “break into leadership” but not gaining any traction – No matter how hard they try, they just aren’t being seen as a leader
- Physicians wanting to lead but don’t know how to get started
What participants will gain by participating in this program?
- How to prepare yourself to lead in a very challenging, complex, noisy healthcare system
- The creation of your personal, definitive plan – Your roadmap to physician leadership unique to you and your goals
- A better understanding of what true physician leadership is all about
- Basic knowledge of what is needed to not just lead, but how to master leadership and where to find the resources needed to get there
- Your action plan to create your own personal brand and standout as a leader
- Skills needed to prepare and market yourself for each position you go after
- A basic understanding of the business concepts in healthcare
- A community with other like-minded physicians, some of which will last the rest of your career
- Each session is interactive with time for Q & A
"Reflecting on my experience, I would say that the program is nothing short of amazing, with well-crafted sessions and speakers who delve into crucial topics and offer insights that are paramount to one's leadership journey. It has been a truly enriching experience, and I look forward to seeing the evolution of future cohorts."
Cohort 2 Kicks Off Wednesday, October 21st, 2026
Program format, session length and duration
All classes held virtually
Each class is 2 hours in length including an interactive Q & A session
Classes held once a month for 6 months
Session Content
October 21, 2026 – 7 pm CT
Session 1. Introduction to Leadership – Kickoff
Faculty:
Don Taylor
Quint Studer
- 10 Guiding Principles for New Physician Leaders
- CMO panel discussion
- Top Skillsets needed to succeed
- Biggest challenges to progressing your career
November 18, 2026 – 7 pm CT
Session 2. The Tough Stuff
Faculty:
Dan Collard
Judy Hoberman
- The C-Suite is not the enemy!
- Soft Skills
- Communication
- Active Listening
- Listen to understand – Not to Respond
- Conflict and Difficult Conversations
- They are rarely as bad as you make them out to be in your mind
December 16, 2026 – 7 pm CT
Session 3. Who am I? Emerging Leader Panel Discussion
Faculty:
Don Taylor
TBD
- Self-Assessment
- Uncovering your strengths and weaknesses
- Self-Realization
- How do others see you?
- How to build on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses
- “Healing” – The book
January 20, 2027 – 7 pm CT
Session 4 – The Business of Healthcare & Healthcare Strategy
Faculty:
TBD
The Business of Healthcare
- The Financials
- Policy & Profit
Healthcare Strategy
- What is strategy?
- Alignment with organizational and individual goals
- What is success?
February 24, 2027 – 7 pm CT
Session 5. Taking the Leap
Faculty:
Kurt Scott
Don Taylor
- Creating your personal brand
- How to prepare for promotion
- Building credibility as a leader
- Resume / CV building
- Interviewing skills
- Negotiating 101
Bonus Session 6: Odds -N- Ends
March 24, 2027-7pm CT
Career Coaches VS Mentors
Getting Legal
Growing and Keeping My Money – Issues of Debt
Qualifications for enrollment: Must be a physician with a current M.D. or D.O. from an accredited program
Residents, Chief Residents and Fellows are encouraged to enroll if you believe leadership is your calling!
Tuition: $997 USD
Physicians are often asked to lead—but rarely prepared for the role. Promotions can happen overnight, often with no formal training and little support. This can lead to frustration, isolation and burnout…and many times physicians end up walking away from organizations that they feel weren’t invested in their leadership growth.
In a recent episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Dan Collard sat down with Don Taylor and Kurt Scott, creators of From Healer to Leader: The Path to Physician Leadership, to talk about what physician development looks like when you get it right.
Read the full blog article here!
Your Hosts
Don Taylor – Director of the Alliance for Physician Leadership and Professor of Practice at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, UT Dallas
At the Alliance for Physician Leadership, my focus is on cultivating physician leaders who can navigate the complex dynamics of organizational change and healthcare management. Through our programs, we empower physicians with the knowledge to lead cultural shifts and respond to financial challenges in the medical field.
As a Professor of Practice at UT Dallas, I am dedicated to fostering innovation in healthcare. Our team’s work centers on providing executive physicians with a deep understanding of themselves and the healthcare landscape, ensuring that learning is at the heart of health.
Kurt Scott, Founder & CEO – The Physician Leadership Career Network
With over 35 years of experience building and leading successful physician and physician executive recruitment programs, I’ve dedicated my career to fostering meaningful connections between healthcare organizations and the leaders who drive them forward.
In 2019, I recognized a gap in the field—a lack of a dedicated space for physician leaders to connect, grow, and advance their careers. To address this, I founded the Physician Leadership Career Network, creating a platform that bridges this gap and empowers physician leaders to thrive.
Our Strategic Partners
“Whether it’s the launch of their leadership trajectory after a few years in practice, or the launchpad “into leadership” for a new generation of physicians, this program is an ideal platform for investment by healthcare organizations in their doctors.”
New Challenges Require New Solutions
To help your organization see measurable results you need more than an off-the-shelf solution. We’ll work with you and your teams every step of the way to diagnose your needs, collaboratively design smart solutions, and create efficient and effective implementation plans built for your company and culture. Our client partners ask us to help them solve retention, engagement, and patient experience challenges. We support these solutions with a platform called Precision Leader DevelopmentTM.
Access the medical community that empowers today’s physicians
PLC-Network members, connect with your peers, earn for your insights, solve challenging patient cases, contribute to the world’s largest database of drug ratings – and even laugh at some great medical jokes. It’s free for members. Join here!
