Program Description
This is an 18-month-long certification program offered jointly by the American College of Physicians and the American Association for Physician Leadership. It includes a combination of formal training through 50 hours of online coursework and group discussions, as well as a capstone project that demonstrates successful mastery of leadership concepts in either hospital medicine or primary care internal medicine. Participants complete the program as part of a cohort, with a July 1 start date.
Curriculum
The program is divided into a three-tier structure, with each tier having a minimum credit amount required for completion.
Tier 1: Core Courses - 27 credits
Participants are required to complete each of the following courses:
- Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Communication Full Details
- Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Influence Full Details
- Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Quality Full Details
- Transitions of Care Full Details
For each core course, there will be required weeklong, 1-credit online group discussions relating the coursework to specific issues in either hospital medicine or primary care internal medicine. The discussions, which will take place during scheduled weeks in a designated online groups by program track, will be led by experienced physician leaders. For the Transitions of Care course, both tracks will participate in the same online discussion to share ideas and experiences from both the inpatient and outpatient care perspectives.
Tier 2: Elective Courses - 23 credits required
The following are examples of elective courses offered as part of the program:
- Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Negotiation Full Details
- Managing Physician Performance Full Details
- Resolving Conflict Full Details
- Develop Effective Teams Full Details
- Create Systems for Quality Full Details
- Mastering Physician Engagement Full Details
- Establish a Just Culture Full Details
- The Numbers a CEO Needs to Know Full Details
- Assessing the Health of Your Organization Full Details
- Building Physician Wellness Full Details
- Interdisciplinary Relationship Management Full Details
- Leading Complex Organizations Full Details
- Leading Problem Solving Full Details
- Managing Task Forces, Committees, and Work Groups Full Details
- Practical Tools for Physician Self-Care Full Details
- Proceed Until Apprehended Full Details
- The Neuropsychology of Strategic Thinking Full Details
- Building and Leading Effective Teams Full Details
- Science of High Reliability Full Details
- Practical Principles of Change Management Full Details
- Embracing Change Full Details
- From Autonomy to Teamwork Full Details
- Project Management Overview for Physician Leaders Full Details
- Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Finance Full Details
- Foundations of Financial Accounting Full Details
Tier 3: Capstone Project
The capstone is a longer-term project that will demonstrate and apply leadership principles in one of the three core areas of the program — communication, influence, or quality — as it relates to hospital medicine or primary care internal medicine.
Each participant will select an advisor who will review the capstone project proposal and provide relevant input throughout the duration of the project. Each capstone project proposal is reviewed and approved by a designated ACP Leadership Academy reviewer. Once the capstone project is complete, it will be reviewed and evaluated by the Capstone Review Board — a select group of experts who will assess the overall quality of the project on the following criteria:
- Originality
- Methodological Quality
- Impact
- Technical Quality of Written Work
- Overall Quality of Final Recorded Presentation
The Capstone Review Board also will assess how leadership skills were applied as part of this project. Projects of exceptional quality as determined by the Capstone Review Board will be selected for presentation at ACP's annual Internal Medicine meeting.
Active participants may keep track of their progression through the program using their personal Progress Dashboard (Only works for active participants.) All course information will be verified.
Tuition and Fees
The following tuition and fees are associated with the program, which is only available to ACP members.
| Activity | Tuition & Fees |
| Registration | $50 |
| Communication Core Course | $430 |
| Influence Core Course | $430 |
| Quality Core Course | $430 |
| Transitions of Care Core Course | $138 |
| Online Discussions | $0 (These discussions are offered at no cost.) |
| Electives | $1,437 (Approximately. Varies based on course selection.) |
| Capstone Project | $500 |
| Total Program Cost | $3,415 |
Enrollment Information
The Leadership Academy’s Formal Leadership Training and Certificate in Physician Leadership programs will no longer accept new applications and enrollees.
To continue to live up to our mission to enhance the quality and effectiveness of health care by fostering excellence and professionalism in the practice of medicine, ACP is evolving our programs, products, and services. Our aim is to provide ongoing support for the career and professional development of internal medicine physicians from training through retirement. We are in the process of completing a comprehensive member needs assessment to guide our programming. In the meantime, check out the Leadership Academy Webinar Series, ACP Advance QI Curriculum and QI Leadership Training, and ACP Webinar Series to support your leadership training and professional development needs. We look forward to connecting with you soon.
Suggested Timeline
Participants will be grouped into a cohort with either a July or January start date. The following is a sample timeline for successful completion of the program within 18 months.
Months 1-6: Complete Core Courses and Online Discussions
Month 7: Select Capstone Project Advisor, Submit Capstone Fee, Begin Elective Courses
Month 8: Submit Capstone Proposal
Month 9-16: Complete Elective Courses, Work on Capstone Project
Month 17: Submit Capstone Project to Capstone Review Board
Month 18: Capstone Presentation, Certificate Awarded
Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Communication
Everyone sees the world differently, and that’s why communicating with other people isn’t a one-size-fits-all affair. Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Communication isn’t just about how to speak or what to say – instead, it shows physician leaders how to adjust their communication style and delivery to make better connections with the people around them.
CME Credits: 7
Tuition: $430.00
Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Influence
Influencing others is a major component of leadership. Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Influence shows physicians leaders how to first influence themselves – by developing core values and clarifying their vision – so they can effectively inspire and lead the people around them.
CME Credits: 7
Tuition: $430.00
Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Quality
Quality and consistency are inexorably linked. Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Quality course offers physicians the tools and tactics they need to create consistent systems, processes and quality outcomes – along with some insight into the history of quality in medicine.
CME Credits: 7
Tuition: $430.00
Transitions of Care
Developed by ACP especially for the Certificate in Physician Leadership program, this course aims to improve the process of caring for patients as they transition across different venues of care by: expanding knowledge of the different types of care settings through which patients may move; identifying potential points at which patients are particularly vulnerable during transitions; recognizing systemic issues and obstacles affecting patients moving from one type of care setting to another, and optimizing the effectiveness and safety of transitions between healthcare venues. Participants will be provided a downloadable Transitions of Care Strategic Planning Workbook that can be used to create individualized plans.
CME Credits: 2
Tuition: $138.00
Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Negotiation
CME Credits: 7
Tuition: $430.00
Managing Physician Performance
CME Credits: 14
Tuition: $1012.00
Resolving Conflict
CME Credits: 7
Tuition: $502.00
Develop Effective Teams
CME Credits: 5
Tuition: $361.00
Create Systems for Quality
CME Credits: 3
Tuition: $195.00
Mastering Physician Engagement
CME Credits: 5
Tuition: $325.00
Establish a Just Culture
CME Credits: 4
Tuition: $260.00
The Numbers a CEO Needs to Know
CME Credits: 5
Tuition: $325.00
Assessing the Health of Your Organization
CME Credits: 3
Tuition: $195.00
Building Physician Wellness
CME Credits: 3
Tuition: $195.00
Interdisciplinary Relationship Management
CME Credits: 4
Tuition: $260.00
Leading Complex Organizations
CME Credits: 4
Tuition: $260.00
Leading Problem Solving
CME Credits: 3
Tuition: $195.00
Managing Task Forces, Committees, and Work Groups
CME Credits: 3
Tuition: $195.00
Practical Tools for Physician Self-Care
CME Credits: 4
Tuition: $260.00
Proceed Until Apprehended
CME Credits: 4
Tuition: $260.00
The Neuropsychology of Strategic Thinking
CME Credits: 2
Tuition: $145
Building and Leading Effective Teams
CME Credits: 5
Tuition: $361
Science of High Reliability
CME Credits: 10
Tuition: $723
Practical Principles of Change Management
CME Credits: 5
Tuition: $361
Embracing Change
CME Credits: 3.5
Tuition: $253
From Autonomy to Teamwork
CME Credits: 3
Tuition: $217
Project Management Overview for Physician Leaders
CME Credits: 7
Tuition: $289
Fundamentals of Physician Leadership: Finance
CME Credits: 7
Tuition: $430
Foundations of Financial Accounting
CME Credits: 5
Tuition: $343