Succession Planning for the Fellowship Program Director: Fortune Favors the Prepared

Abstract

WHEN PHYSICIAN-EDUCATORS step into the role of program director leadership for a fellowship in adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology, they assume a tremendous responsibility for training the next generation of physicians to develop an approach to lifelong learning through activities such as clinical practice, curiosity, engagement, judgment, and scholarship. The responsibilities of a program director are daunting, and many academic physicians may not fully understand the effort required from a program director to lead with vision, determination, and compassion. 1 Furthermore, their decisions often must respect the privacy of the individual but at times may play out in the court of public opinion. It is the opportunity of a lifetime to mentor the future of our specialty: it is also often a labor of love, and as such, there are seasons of change-a beginning, middle, and ultimately an end. While that end, or transition, can project strength and progress, it also can generate anxiety with a sense of destabilization and unpredictability. Succession planning aims to promote the smooth transition from one qualified leader to another through recruitment, development, and preparation. 1

Practical tips for navigating a program director transition

“…Program directors may choose to remain in their roles until replaced or they may step down immediately. In the latter case, proper succession planning will minimize disruptions ( Thompson & Augoustides, 2019 ). Always have a successor in mind, whether that be an assistant/associate director, a former program director still on faculty, or other leaders within your faculty.…”