Physician Leadership Course
The WSMA Physician Leadership Course is a 40+ hour hybrid-distance
leadership skills-development course for physicians and physician
assistants who want to know more about health care leadership.
Once out of residency, many physicians will find themselves leading a
multidisciplinary team charged with delivering the highest quality care to
our patients. To be an effective team leader, core leadership competencies
are required—skills not taught in medical school. Without these skills,
physicians may find themselves unprepared and overburdened with unexpected
responsibilities—a recipe for burnout.
The WSMA is committed to helping physicians develop the skills they need
to thrive professionally in today’s health care environment, regardless of
the type or size of your organization. Developing core leadership
competencies can strengthen clinician resilience, improve time, and stress
management, and help you achieve greater workflow efficiency.
The WSMA Physician Leadership Course combines face-to-face and online
learning to enable course participants to begin developing and honing
their leadership skills at their convenience. Designed with a physician's
busy schedule in mind, only three in-person classes are required; the
remainder of the course is conducted online. It’s important you are
present all-day for the three in-person sessions. If you are unable to
attend all three sessions, then it’s best register for the PLC when you
can.
The full curriculum for the WSMA Physician Leadership Course is detailed
below. The max capacity for the course is 30 participants. Individuals or
group/system teams are encouraged to apply!
In-person course details
The Physician Leadership Course will be held in-person two times in 2025.
The first Physician Leadership Course will be held Mar. 21–May 30, 2025,
in person at the Financial Center Metropolitan Tract (1215 4th Avenue) in
Seattle, WA. The first two in-person sessions will be held Friday and
Saturday, Mar. 21 and 22. Course participants will then have 11 weeks of
online instruction and interaction, finishing with a final in-person
session on Friday, May 30. The deadline for registration is Feb. 21, 2025.
Register now
The second Physician Leadership Course will be held Sept. 12– Nov. 21,
2025, in-person at the Financial Center Metropolitan Tract (1215 4th
Avenue) in Seattle, WA. The first two in-person sessions will be held
Friday and Saturday, Sept. 12 and 13. Course participants will then have
11 weeks of online instruction and interaction, finishing with a final
in-person session on Friday, Nov. 21. The deadline for registration is
Aug. 12, 2025.
Register now
Virtual-only course details
The virtual-only Physician Leadership Course will be held Oct. 3–Dec. 12,
2025. The first two live virtual sessions are Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3
and 4. Course participants will then have 11 weeks of online instruction
and interaction, finishing with a third live virtual session on Friday,
Dec. 12. The deadline for registration is Sept. 3, 2025.
Register now
Instructor
This course is led by Edward A. Walker, MD, MHA,
professor emeritus in the departments of psychiatry and behavioral
sciences and health services at the University of Washington in
Seattle and senior physician advisor for the WSMA Center for
Leadership Development.
Learn more about the course from Dr. Ed Walker and hear what PLC
graduates have to say about growing their leadership skills to drive
positive change in health care.
Questions
Contact Alyssa Crawford at 206.956.3637 or
alyssa@wsma.org.
Cancellation policy
Refunds are available for live event registration depending on when the
refund is requested in relation to the start of the course.
-
91 days or more until start of event: a 100% refund less a $100
processing fee per person
- 61–90 days until start of event: a 75% refund
- 31–60 days until start of event: a 25% refund
- 30 days or less until start of event: no refund
The WSMA reserves the right to cancel the course. If so, preregistered
participants will be notified, and full refunds provided. No shows will
receive no refund. Registrations may not be transferred to another person
at any time. A participant may transfer registration one time to the next
available course if space permits. All subsequent transfers of
registration will incur a change fee of $250. All refunds will be issued
to the original form of payment.
For in-person courses, the WSMA cannot be held responsible for other costs
or expenses, including cancellation or change charges assessed by
airlines, travel agencies, or hotels.