The program seeks to support faculty participants in clarifying their values, strengths and goals and building academic career fulfillment, momentum, and advancement at Dell Medical School through coach-guided reflection, awareness, cohort dialogue, and self-defined milestones.
Applications are closed.
This program will run August 2025–January 2026. There will be six in-person cohort coaching sessions at DMS HLB over the course of six months (Tuesday evenings, 5:00–6:30pm), plus two peer-only cohort meet-ups (60 minutes each).
Early-career paid, professional track faculty with regular Dell Med appointments (e.g., Assistant Professors within first 2–5 years). Faculty members who are highly interested in personal and professional growth and development and committed to a career in academic medicine are encouraged to apply.
The final Academic Portfolio Project allows participants to demonstrate meaningful forward progress on an academic endeavor aligned with their values and professional advancement at DMS.
Dinner will be provided at all sessions.
 Kerri Palamara McGrath, MD Dr. Palamara completed her medical degree at New York Medical College and Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital, and now practices as a primary care general internist at MGH. After 8 years as an Associate Program Director and Primary Care Program Director at MGH, Dr. Palamara was asked to lead the Center for Physician Well-being for the Department of Medicine at MGH as the inaugural director. Her academic work focuses on physician coaching, clinician well-being, and faculty development. Dr. Palamara leads the American College of Physicians “Physician Coach Training Program”, which focuses on training physicians to integrate coaching techniques into their quality improvement and well-being initiatives. For her work, Dr. Palamara has won teaching awards at MGH, Partners Healthcare, Harvard Medical School, MassGeneral Brigham, the Society of General Internal Medicine, and the American College of Physicians; and has been awarded Mastership in the American College of Physicians. |
Gretchen Fuller, MD, FACEP Gretchen Fuller, M.D., is a dual-boarded emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine physician. At Dell Medical School she teaches communication skills across the undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education continuum. Her professional focus is interpersonal and team communication and how these skills can foster human connection and improve the lives of health care professionals and patients. She is on the faculty and board of directors of the Academy of Communication in Healthcare and facilitates workshops on communication skills, conflict, inclusion, coaching, feedback and team leadership. Fuller is a certified physician development coach through the International Coaching Federation-accredited Physician Coaching Institute. She previously served as national director of patient experience for US Acute Care Solutions, an acute care staffing company with over 5,000 clinician employees that cares for over 9 million patients annually. |
Program eligibility is limited to Dell Med paid, assistant professors with regular appointments on the professional track (both clinical and professor title series).
Faculty members who are highly interested in personal and professional growth and development and committed to a career in academic medicine are encouraged to apply.
Coaching is a collaborative process that helps you connect the dots between where you are and where you want to be and identify the roadmap to get there. Your coach, Dr. Gretchen Fuller, a dual-boarded emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine physician and a certified physician development coach, will help you develop a specific vision of you at your professional and personal best. Together you will leverage your experiences, motivators, values, and strengths to design incremental steps to reach and sustain your goals.
The program will take place over six months (August 2025–January 2026). Each month, participants should plan to spend 90 minutes in a workshop session and one hour on personal reflective and skill-building exercises. Over the course of the program, there will also be two 1-hour peer-only cohort meet-ups (at DMS HLB, meal provided) for discussion, reflection, and integration without the coach.
All sessions will take place in person.
Please direct questions to Ashleigh Moses, associate director for Faculty Academic Affairs at amoses@austin.utexas.edu
Yes, a delicious dinner will be provided at each session!
Participants will be asked to complete a brief pre- and post-program survey.
