Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Medical Centers (Hybrid)
“This program not only empowered me with new skills and a fund of knowledge regarding physician leadership in health care, but it gave me greater confidence in my ability to take those skills back home to make an impactful difference.”
—Brian H. Zack, Medical Director at University Hospitals Cleveland
About the Program
This hybrid program involves online and on-site sessions that bring together physicians in administrative positions at academic medical centers for an intensive and systematic study of the critical leadership and management issues facing academic medical centers.
Program Fees
- Standard Price $9,500.00
Program Overview
For over 40 years, Harvard has conducted Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Medical Centers, an executive development program designed specifically to help physicians become the leaders needed by both their organizations and patients in today’s complex health care landscape. This program is designed to serve a wide array of physician leaders. The on-site version of this course convenes medical directors and chiefs of divisions from academic medical centers together with an interdisciplinary faculty team for two weeks of intensive and systematic study of the critical leadership and management issues faced by physicians in administrative positions and academic medical centers. The program curriculum is organized around the following interrelated courses taught by esteemed Harvard faculty:
- Health Care Policy
- Competitive Strategy
- Financial Analysis
- Operations Management
- Organizational Issues
- Conflict Resolution and Negotiation
- Leadership
Upcoming Program Details
The program’s overall objective is to enhance and develop participants’ leadership abilities and effectiveness. This is accomplished by providing an increased understanding of their responsibilities as leaders, perspective on the critical leadership and management issues they face, and understanding and awareness of concepts and techniques relevant to management.
Upon completion of the program, participants will have gained:
- Increased understanding of the responsibilities and tasks of leaders in complex institutions
- Broader appreciation of the challenges and changes occurring in academic medical centers and the implications for their own institution and service or area of responsibility
- New perspectives on issues they face currently and on those which arise in the future
- Knowledge of relevant concepts and techniques in several key management disciplines
- New methods to analyze problems and an enhanced capacity to identify the critical questions
- Greater effectiveness as unit and institutional leaders in formulating and implementing initiatives and managing change
This hybrid program involves on-site sessions from March 13-15, 2026 and June 12-14, 2026, taking place at Harvard’s Longwood Campus in Boston, MA. Between these on-site gatherings, there will be online sessions from March-June 2026.
The agenda below details the on-site session schedule for March and June. Please check back on our website later for the online session schedule.
All Times are Eastern Time (ET).
| Friday, March 13, 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8:00–8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 8:30–9:30 am | Welcome and Orientation | |
| 9:30–9:45 am | Coffee Break | |
| 9:45–11:00 am | Pascal | What is Leadership? |
| 11:00–11:30 am | Break | |
| 11:30 am–12:30 pm | Discussion Group | |
| 12:30–1:30 pm | Lunch | |
| 1:30–2:45 pm | Blanchfield | Differential Cost Accounting |
| 2:45–3:15 pm | Break | |
| 3:15–4:30 pm | Fleming | Strategic Planning: Department Level |
| 4:30–5:00 pm | Wrap Up | |
| 6:30–9:00 pm | Dinner | Saturday, March 14, 2026 |
| 8:00–8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 8:30–9:15 am | Discussion Group | |
| 9:15–9:30 am | Coffee Break | |
| 9:30–9:45 am | Day 1 Insights & Recap | |
| 9:45–11:00 am | Witherell | Leading Teams: Value of Leaders (SDI) |
| 11:00–11:30 am | Break | |
| 11:30 am–12:45 pm | Witherell | Leading Teams: Value of Leaders (SDI), con't |
| 12:45–1:45 pm | Lunch | |
| 1:45–3:00 pm | Fleming | Introduction to Strategy |
| 3:00–3:30 pm | Break | |
| 3:30–5:00 pm | Pascal | Through the Looking Glass |
| 5:00–5:30 pm | Wrap Up | |
| 5:30–6:15 pm | Meet with Peer Coaches | Sunday, March 15, 2026 |
| 8:00–8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 8:30–9:00 am | Discussion Group | |
| 9:00–9:15 am | Coffee Break | |
| 9:15–9:30 am | Day 2 Insights & Recap | |
| 9:30–10:45 am | Blanchfield | Differential Cost Accounting 2 |
| 10:45–11:00 am | Break | |
| 11:00 am–12:15 pm | Peck | Managing Flow and Variability |
| 12:15–1:00 pm | Lunch | |
| 1:00–12:30 pm | McDonough | US Health Reform & Affordable Care Act |
| 2:30–3:15 pm | Peer Coaching | |
| 3:15–3:45 pm | Program Part 1 Wrap Up | Friday, June 12, 2026 |
| 8:00–8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 8:30–9:30 am | Welcome Back | |
| 9:30–10:15 am | Discussion Group | |
| 10:15–10:45 am | Break | |
| 10:45 am–12:00 pm | Blanchfield | Integrating Management Control Systems with Strategy & Operations |
| 12:00–1:00 pm | Lunch | |
| 1:00–2:15 pm | Witherell | Leading Teams: Value of Teams |
| 2:15–2:45 pm | Break | |
| 2:45–4:00 pm | Witherell | Leading Teams: Value of Teams cont. |
| 4:00–4:30 pm | Wrap Up | |
| 4:30–5:30 pm | Meet with Peer Coaches | Saturday, June 13, 2026 |
| 8:00–8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 8:30–9:15 am | Discussion Group | |
| 9:15–9:30 am | Coffee Break | |
| 9:45–11:15 am | Peck | Basics of Operational Management/Creating Culture of Operational Excellence |
| 11:15–11:45 am | Break | |
| 11:45 am–1:00 pm | Fleming | Disruptive Innovation |
| 1:00–1:45 pm | Lunch | |
| 1:45–3:15 pm | Pascal | Managing Others: Having Difficult Conversations |
| 3:15–3:30 pm | Wrap Up | |
| 6:00–8:30 pm | Dinner Reception | Sunday, June 14, 2026 |
| 8:00–8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 8:30–9:00 am | Discussion Group | |
| 9:00–9:15 am | Coffee Break | |
| 9:15–9:30 am | Day 2 Insights and Recap | |
| 9:30–10:45 am | Crichlow | Equity in Health Care |
| 10:45–11:00 am | Break | |
| 11:00 am–12:30 pm | Pascal, Witherell | What's in Your Leadership Toolbox/Bringing the Learning Home |
| 12:30–1:00 pm | Boxed Lunch |
This agenda is subject to change.
Potential participants include individuals in positions such as chief of a clinical division within a major clinical department, vice chair of a clinical department, medical director, and associate dean for clinical affairs.
Participants will be selected in a manner ensuring an appropriate mix and balance in the class.
Credits & Logistics
The priority deadline for completed applications is October 1, 2025.
Applications received after the deadline will be considered based on availability. Applicants who are admitted to the program are not guaranteed a space until the program fee has been paid and may be placed on a waitlist if the program reaches capacity.
Because this is a full-time, residential program and because of the cumulative and interactive nature of the educational experience, applicants who are accepted must plan and agree to attend and participate in all sessions of the program.
How to Apply
For your convenience you may review the list of application questions for the program. We advise applicants to prepare their answers in a word document and then cut and paste them into the online application in order to avoid losing their work in the unlikely event of a technical difficulty. Once your answers have been prepared and you are ready to continue with the application process please click the “apply now” button above. Thank you for your cooperation, we look forward to reviewing your application.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation upon completion of the program.
March 2026
Please check back for updated information.
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health designates this live activity for a maximum of 32 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will grant 3.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for this program, equivalent to 32 contact hours of education. Participants can apply these contact hours toward other professional education accrediting organizations.
All credits subject to final agenda.