Leadership & Management

Bridging Leaders Program

This program has been co-developed by the
McMaster Program for Faculty Development & McMaster Department of Medicine.

The ability to bridge between worlds as a leader is a must-have skill, but one that is rarely operationalized. For example, leaders in Canadian academic health sciences centres (AHSCs) are often invested in one of two sides: the university or hospital/health systems side. Rarely are the two worlds well bridged, and as a result there is a growing divide between the academics and the hospital administrators of our AHSCs. The solutions for most problems, however, often require both parties within the leadership of the AHSCs to have a deep empathy and understanding of each others’ priorities and interests.

We hope that this program can allow leaders who hold dual citizenship roles (e.g. teacher and researcher, hospital leader and academic faculty, clinician and scientist, or others) to work on reconciling their two sides and to find ways to collaboratively seek solutions that are win-win for all involved.  By participating in this program, we hope to help participants set the foundation to effectively lead in their academic, research, and clinical leadership roles.

The 2022 Winter Cohort is accredited for 14.75 hours of Mainpro+ or MOC Section 1 credits.

* This form is a worksheet that has been created for you to use to prepare your application information. Please note: once the worksheet has been filled out, you will then need to copy-and-paste all your answers into our online application system.
PRICE:
$5500 CAD for Individuals outside of McMaster Community
$3500 CAD for Mac Faculty/Staff
$1800 CAD for Residents/Fellows

Note: Needs-based support available to all. Part of the application will allow us to possibly accommodate individuals that require additional support.

Bridging Leaders Program
Winter Cohort

📅 January 31st - May 25th, 2022 (times vary)

Main Learning Sessions


Monday, January 31st, 2022 , 1-5pm ET 
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022, 1-5pm ET
Friday, April 1st, 2022, 9am-1pm ET
Thursday, April 28th, 2022, 9am-1pm ET
Wednesday, May 25th, 2022, 1-5pm ET

Additional Small Group Project Time will be asked of the team from 3-5pm or 7-9pm  on one of Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.

Overall Objectives

At the end of the program, participants will be able to:

"This leadership program is meant to take people who are citizens within our many organizations and empower them to see themselves as leaders for a new era of complexity. Balancing multiple roles and identities is difficulty, and this program can help you navigate this complexity."

- Dr.  Teresa Chan
Associate Dean,
Continuing Professional Development

Program Content

The following is a listing of the program content that participants will engage in over the duration of the Bridging Leaders Program.

Topic 1: Leading Self & Selves

Topic 2: One + Another

Topic 3: Teaming & Leading Others

Topic 4: Changing the System

Final Presentations

Each module is comprised of two parts:

Each individual will also be paired with an executive coach, and will take part in a total of 3 coaching sessions. This coach's job will be to help you unlock your leadership potential or help you wrestle with current leadership dilemmas.

Program Specifics

Leading Self & Selves

Engage in discovering new facets about yourself and understanding your multiple roles and how this affects your leadership.

By the end of this session, individuals will be able to:

One + Another

Learn key strategies for relating to others.

By the end of this session, individuals will be able to:

"The Bridging Leaders Program is more than just a leadership course. It is an invitation for growth and an inspiration for change. Participating in this program provided me with the skills, connections, and confidence to dream big as a leader. This program has shaped me as a leader and has left me wanting more."

- Dr. Celina LIn
Assistant Professor / Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Specialist
BLP Alumni, Returning Mentor

Teaming & Leading Others

Discover strategies for working with your local teams.

By the end of this session, individuals will be able to:

Changing the System

Discuss and learn about systems changes, and start thinking about how you can change your own environments.

By the end of this session, individuals will be able to:

"The Bridging Leaders Program has been invaluable in my development as a leader. This course helped me to develop a suitable Change Leadership Framework and enlist effective Coaching to help translate newly learned leadership skills to the elements of this framework. I would highly recommend this to emerging or existing leaders within Academic Health Science Centres.

- Graeme Matheson
Acting Executive Director, Regional Medical Associates
BLP Alumni, Returning Mentor

Showcase - Final Presentations

Showcase and share your local leadership project. 

By the end of this session, individuals will:

"The program provides a unique immersive theoretical and experience-centric approach to leadership skills development that facilitates an adaptable, yet fundamentally personal journey for the participants."

- Dr. Ted Xenodemetropoulos
Associate Professor, McMaster / Gastroenterologist
BLP Alumni, Returning Mentor

Executive Coaching

Why a leader may want to partner with a leadership coach…

Coaching is all about you. A coach is a partner in your effectiveness, success, development and fulfilment.

The Bridging Leaders Program includes 3 private confidential leadership coaching sessions for each participant. Coaching appointments will be scheduled between you and your assigned coach. You may find coaching helpful for:

Your Accountabilities

Bridging Leaders Program - Winter Cohort 

📅 January 31st - May 25th, 2022 (times vary)

Main Learning Sessions


Monday, January 31st, 2022 , 1-5pm ET 
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022, 1-5pm ET
Friday, April 1st, 2022, 9am-1pm ET
Thursday, April 28th, 2022, 9am-1pm ET
Wednesday, May 25th, 2022, 1-5pm ET

Additional Small Group Project Time will be asked of the team from 3-5pm or 7-9pm  on one of Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.

Applications are closed

There are two steps to our application for the Bridging Leaders Program. 

Step One: download the application worksheet. Prepare your answers. Consider blocking off the dates for the sessions now.

Step Two: Submit your application via our application portal at this link (click the button below)

PRICE:
$5500 CAD for Individuals outside of McMaster Community
$3500 CAD for Mac Faculty/Staff
$1800 CAD for Residents/Fellows

Note: Needs-based support available to all. Part of the application will allow us to possibly accommodate individuals that require additional support.

Organizing Committee & Core Members of the Teaching Team

Teresa Chan, MD, MHPE

Associate Professor, Department of MedicineAssociate Dean, Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Leadership Philosophy

Leadership is something that everyone can do in their lives - it’s not tied to position or power. Being leaderly is a state of being wherein you try to serve, help, and transform the people and world around you. Applying the lenses of mentorship, sponsorship, coaching, and teaching to change your leadership game can help you to build capacity in those around you and help your system grow to best serve society.” 

Sarrah Lal, MBA

Assistant Professor, Department of MedicineTeam Lead for Leadership & Management, Program for Faculty Development (PFD)

Leadership Philosophy 

“I believe in always becoming more. As leaders we are a composite of everything to which we aspire. It is our responsibility to take the first step forward, look for opportunities to create impact and demonstrate, through goal-setting and overcoming challenges, the many impossible things that are, in fact, possible. Leaders create more leaders."

Sandra Ramelli, BEd, MBA

Assistant Professor (Part Time), Department of MedicineOrganizational Development Expert / Consultant

Leadership Philosophy

“I believe we can all lead from where we are. Leadership is not a title. It is a being. We are the instruments of our leadership - when we grow ourselves as human beings, we grow our leadership. Our leadership capability grows over time with a learner mindset, lived experiences and lifelong learning. It is my belief that it is imperative that we use our leadership to create value, to serve others and to contribute to a purpose bigger than ourselves. We do this through a dynamic process of helping people together understand our current reality, imagine what could be, and together, co-create a future that is better than what we have today.”

Jonathan Sherbino, MD, MEd

Professor, Department of MedicineAssistant Dean, Education Research (MERIT)

Leadership Philosophy

“An effective leader casts a shared vision that ignites a team to pursue a goal. An effective leader serves the team. An effective leader distributes power, but maintains responsibility. An effective leader seeks out feedback and humbly processes criticism. An effective leader is transparent, consistent and ethical. Achieving a goal is rarely straightforward or easy. Recalibration, and an openness to new opportunities, is essential.”

Accreditation Statement

McMaster University, Continuing Professional Development Office (CPD) is fully accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education (CACME) to provide CFPC Mainpro+ and RCPSC Maintenance of Certification (MOC) study credits for Continuing Medical Education.

This one-credit-per-hour Group Learning program meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by the McMaster University Continuing Health Sciences Program for up to 3.75 Mainpro+ credits.

This activity is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and approved by McMaster University, Continuing Health Sciences Education Program for up to 14.75 MOC Section 1 hours. (Kick off Day 1 – 3.5 hour; Day 2 – 3.25 hours; Day 3 – 3.25 hours; Day 4 – 4 hours). Participants may only claim the days that they attend.

Through an agreement between the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Medical Association, physicians may convert Royal College MOC credits to AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Information on the process to convert Royal College MOC credit to AMA credit can be found at www.ama-assn.org/go/internationalcme. 

*Each healthcare provider should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

Conflicts of Interest

The following Planning Committee Members and Speakers did not declare a relationship with a FOR-PROFIT and/or NOT-FOR-PROFIT organization over the previous two years:  Sandra Ramelli.
The following Planning Committee Members and Speakers have or had a relationship with a FOR-PROFIT and/or NOT-FOR-PROFIT organization over the previous two years:
  • Teresa Chan: Honorarium from the ALiEM, LLC., Academic Medicine (Association of American Colleges of Medicine), PSI Foundation, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
  • Jonathan Sherbino: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, PSI foundation
  • Sarrah Lal: Head Injury Rehabilitation Ontario (HRO); Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL)
  • David Russell: St. Joseph's Healthcare Canada