AAPL Fall Institute Day Four: Breaking Norms And Heading Home

By the time they realize their career in clinical medicine isn’t everything they thought it would be, many physicians believe they’re too invested in their trade to turn back now. Feeling burned out, disengaged, unfulfilled, or burdened by high student debt or compensation incommensurate with the demands of their job, they may feel trapped, without options, and with nowhere to turn.

Of course, they do have the AAPL.

One of the sessions was given by Sylvie Stacy, author of 50 Nonclinical Careers for Physicians: Fulfilling, Meaningful, and Lucrative Alternatives to Direct Patient Care. In her book, Stacy offers physicians an escape from that bleak “trap” by identifying numerous nonclinical career options that could align with their skill sets and individual financial situation.

Other course offerings during the last day of the Fall Institute rounded out the curriculum for the week:

• Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Communication, led by Tim Keogh, adjunct associate professor, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

• Day 2 of Science of High Reliability, led by Jeff Norton, chief performance officer and vice president at UC Health. This course examined high reliability, the study of human performance in complex systems.
  In the course, physician leaders explore systems thinking, analysis of serious safety events, and techniques to minimize mistakes. The curriculum covered strategies and tactics to change organizational culture, improve team performance, and exhibit leadership behaviors.

The day also included a course, Women in Leadership, taught by Bergitta Cotroneo, deputy chief executive officer and EVP at the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine, based in Northern Virginia.

Women face unique challenges in leadership, but also bring a unique perspective. This course provided ideas, skills, and perspective on leading every day.  The gender-specific course format was designed to allow for greater openness among participants and provided a supportive environment.

At the end of the day, with additional steps taken in their journey as physician leaders, the attendees may have sipped a glass of wine by the fire pit, listened to the comforting tones of Scottish bagpipes, took in one last look at the Arizona sunsets, and headed on another journey: home to start putting the lessons they learned into practice.

Thank you for joining us in Scottsdale. We hope you found your time here valuable and insightful. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago, Illinois, June 9-11, 2023.

The Early Bird pricing is now open for the 2023 Annual Leadership Conference.