About the AMSPDC Pediatric Leadership Development Program (PLDP)
This program was developed following a survey of the AMSPDC membership which highlighted the important role of AMSPDC in helping to develop the next generation of Pediatric Chairs, ensuring that they will be well poised to lead our profession through the rapidly changing environment of academic medicine and health care in general.
Who is Eligible?
Any faculty member in your department who is currently in a significant leadership position and who has either expressed a long-term interest in becoming a Pediatric Academic Department Chair or who you view as having potential to become a Pediatric Academic Department Chair. Such persons include, but are not limited to, Interim Chairs, Division Chiefs, Vice Chairs, Associate Chairs, Associate Deans, Program Directors, Research Directors, etc.
What does the Program Include?
There are four components to the fellowship.
- Formal Mentorship Program: This program will be modeled similarly to a current mentorship program AMSPDC has developed for new chairs. It will consist of matching the scholar to a chair who matches their leadership interests. The mentors will be members of AMSPDC who meet the mentorship criteria set by the PLDP Committee. The mentor will then serve as support to the scholar during and, if desired by both parties, following the year-long development program. Regular (at least monthly) communication will be encouraged between the mentor and mentee for trouble shooting, advice, etc. Furthermore, the mentee will be given the opportunity to visit the mentor for up to a week to observe the day-to-day activities of the mentor in their chair role; however, this cost is not currently included in the program registration fee.
- Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program: This program will connect all members of each year’s Cohort to rely on each other for support and information and possibly to work in teams during the leadership program on their projects (see below). They will be connected at least monthly, via 1 hour Peer to Peer conference calls, enabling joint learning and brainstorming. Many Peer-to-Peer calls will have a guest speaker present on topics agreed on by the group. We will also have a secure website available for those in the PLDP to share documents, ideas, etc.
- Leadership Development Project: The development of projects that will be of value to the home department of the candidate, done in conjunction with the home-based Chair or immediate supervisor will be encouraged. This project has to have the approval of the home-based Chair.
- Attendance at Two Consecutive AMSPDC Annual Meetings: Scholars will be expected to attend two Annual AMSPDC meetings, first as the incoming Cohort of scholars, then as the outgoing Cohort of scholars. During the first meeting, the incoming Cohort will be introduced to potential mentors, presented with an orientation to the program, some seminal lectures on leadership and given time to bond with their Cohort. The incoming Cohort will be expected to give a 15-minute overview presentation of their project ideas. The outgoing Cohort (second meeting) will be expected to present their year-long projects and give some advice to the incoming Cohort on what worked and what did not work during their fellowship.
What are the Costs of this Fellowship Program?
Costs related to the fellowship will be supported by the Sponsoring Department. The fees for the program are $5,500 which includes the cost of both annual meeting registrations, reading materials, a 360 Degree Leadership Practice Inventory Assessment and some provided meals. This does not include the cost of flights to and from the meetings, hotel accommodations or the registration for national leadership courses.
What is the Application Process?
The application system is now closed
- Nomination by Chair or self-nomination (all nominees must have a strong letter of support from his or her Chair)
- Brief (one page) biography including their career goals.
- Letter of intent (no more than two pages) describing why they wish to participate in the AMSPDC Pediatric Leadership Development Fellowship Program.
- Curriculum Vitae
Past Cohorts
Past PLDP Scholar Testimonials
“The program has led to many extremely valuable contacts for me, a couple who have become informal ‘at a distance’ mentors. I also cite the camaraderie of my fellow participants as a major positive.”
“Great program.”
“Great networking. Great leadership. Have previous PLDP fellows return annually for reunion to increase networking venues.”
“There was a wealth of experience amongst the PLDP faculty that could be shared.”
“Outstanding program.”
“The PLDP, while helpful for preparing for a Chair position, is helpful for any leadership position. The most positive aspects of the program are: the strong leadership/kindness/devotion of Bob Wilmott, opportunity for one-on-one work with a mentor, and then the opportunity to connect with Chairs and co-participant mentors at the annual AMSPDC meeting. I knew only a little about AMSPDC prior to being in the PLDP; hope to attend meetings in the future (thanks to the positive experience I had through this program). Thanks to Dr. Wilmott and all of the faculty organizers of this outstanding program.”