AAMC Professional Development Opportunities

Founded in 1876 and based in Washington, D.C., the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is a not-for-profit association representing all accredited U.S. medical schools, including UT Southwestern Medical Center. Through its many programs and services, the AAMC strengthens the world's most advanced medical care by supporting the entire spectrum of education, research, and patient care activities conducted by its member institutions.

The Office of Faculty Diversity and Development (FDD) and the Office of Women’s Careers (OWC) support the attendance of minority and women faculty members to several national professional development conferences sponsored by the AAMC. For additional information regarding travel-related support or assistance in the application process, please email fdd@utsouthwestern.edu. Here are descriptions of the conferences supported by FDD and OWC.

Early Career Women Faculty Professional Development Seminar

This 3½-day seminar is designed for women at the assistant professor level. The seminar is for physicians and scientists holding medical school appointments and in the early stages of leadership positions within their discipline, department, or institution. The program covers leadership topics and provides skills related to academic medicine career building and strategic thinking about career development.

Attendees will develop their professional network through small-group career mapping sessions. CME credit is available for eligible participants. The conference is held annually in July.

Educational Objectives:

  • Assist participants in creating an agenda for working toward leadership goals 
  • Provide participants with insights into the realities of building a career in academic medicine 
  • Help participants to expand their network of colleagues 
  • Assist participants in identifying the skill areas in need of further development

2011 Attendee: Alice Chang, M.D., M.S. 
2012 Attendee: Ramona Rhodes, M.D.

Executive Development Seminar for Associate Deans and Department Chairs

Many leaders in academic medicine and science have impeccable clinical and scientific training. Typically, they have demonstrated a high level of competence in their areas of expertise. However, most of these leaders have no specific training in personnel management, legal issues in higher education, communications (both interpersonal and inter-organizational) in the clinical environment, and financial management.

Consequently, the Executive Development Seminar for Associate Deans and Department Chairs was designed to address these gaps in leadership training. Jointly sponsored by the AAMC and the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, this conference provides CME credit for eligible participants. The conference is held annually in September.


Educational Objectives:

  • Explore legal issues and the implications for management and decision-making in the academic medical center
  • Examine the influence of temperament and communication styles on team development, group effectiveness, and the management of scientists and professionals
  • Develop a deeper appreciation for technical financial management, physician and hospital reimbursement, and departmental budgeting
  • Enhance skills in effectively crafting messages and managing communications
  • Enhance fundamental skills of effective negotiation and influence
  • Explore the nature and development of leadership in the academic medical center

2011 Attendee: Shawna Nesbitt, M.D., M.S. 
2012 Attendee: Helen Yin, Ph.D.

Mid-Career Women Faculty Professional Development Seminar

This 3½-day seminar is designed for women primarily at the associate professor level. Women in the early stages of a professorial appointment will be considered on an individual basis. The seminar is for physicians and scientists holding medical school appointments and holding leadership positions within their discipline, department, or institution.

The program goal is to enhance knowledge and skills needed to support progress along the path to leadership in academic medicine. The seminar covers skills related to the formation and use of teams, central to effective collaborative in various mission-critical activities.

Leadership topics are organized into workshop tracks that span communication skills, institutional finance, and management issues. Small-group sessions focus on mentoring participants in career building skills, in narrative/CV development, and strategic thinking about career development.


CME credit is available for eligible participants. The conference is held annually in early December.

Educational Objectives:

  • Visualize potential paths to leadership and develop career plans to advance toward that vision
  • 
Identify networks of mentors and colleagues in academic medicine

  • Acquire tools and skills necessary for leading teams and being an effective team member

  • Summarize key skill and knowledge areas related to academic and organizational leadership

  • Apply strategies to facilitate powerful and effective communication

2011 Attendee: Margaret Schwarz, M.D. 
2012 Attendee: Ildiko Lingvay, M.D.

Minority Faculty Career Development Seminar

This three-day seminar is designed to support the career development of junior faculty (senior fellows, instructors, and assistant professors) who are members of under-represented racial and ethnic minority groups and who aspire to leadership positions in academic medicine. CME credit is available for eligible participants.

The 2013 Seminar will be held on September 20-23 in New Orleans, La. Information about registration will be available in April 2013 at the Minority Faculty Career Development Seminar.

Educational Objectives:

  • Identify professional development goals and design a career path 
  • Understand the realities of advancement in academic medicine through the exploration of appointment, promotion, and tenure requirements 
  • Develop key professional competencies in academic and organizational leadership 
  • Identify personal and professional skills that are vital to academic advancement and provide opportunities for development 
  • Identify and cope with unique challenges facing under-represented racial and ethnic minority faculty 
  • Understand the grant-making process for government entities and foundations
  • Share information on funding opportunities
  • Facilitate networking opportunities with colleagues and role models

2011 Attendee: John Richard, M.D.
2012 Attendee: Alecia Nero, M.D.