As C-Change Fellows, participants work closely with a group of peers from different academic institutions. The yearlong course convenes in person for four two-day quarterly intensive and enjoyable meetings in rural coastal Rhode Island.
C-Change Mentoring & Leadership Institute Description
Please send completed application form to cchange@brandeis.edu
Participating faculty will:
- Collaborate in a yearlong group peer mentoring experience for career development that is closely aligned with personal core values
- Experience a lively, inclusive and trustworthy culture of learning, creativity and scholarship
- Receive guidance for career fulfillment and advancement
- Construct a personalized individual academic development plan to successfully achieve career and personal goals
- Develop skills in leadership, team-building, collaboration, mindfulness, meaningful dialogue, and other skills crucial for those seeking a greater leadership role in research, education, or health services
- Develop skills for mentoring others
Institute Structure and Design Principles
This mentoring Institute is designed as a learning community that emphasizes peer consultation and sharing of perspectives and expertise. During each intensive daylong session, the group of participating C-Change Fellows will engage in a structured process of career planning and development, as well as learn skills in key areas for career advancement. All sessions will prioritize attention to the culture and communication within the group. Meetings are designed to embody characteristics of the culture needed in medical schools to support relationship formation, alignment of personal core values and professional goals, and the development of fulfilling careers. The facilitated group process is characterized by non-hierarchical peer relationships and self-direction. The sessions employ varied learning methods, and innovative dialogue strategies.
Each C-Change Fellow will be guided through the steps of formulating a written personal Academic Development Plan that will include long and short-term objectives, and how to accomplish the identified goals. Participants will not only learn skills relevant to their careers, but also have the opportunity to experience new learning methods and mentoring skills they can utilize in their work.
Eligibility of Participants
- Midcareer and senior faculty in academic medicine desiring to advance their careers and enhance their leadership skills and roles
- MD, PhD, or equivalent advanced degree
Physicians and scientists from all departments in academic health centers are welcome to apply. We encourage the participation of colleagues from the same institution or department. Participation will be limited to 14 faculty. To be selected for admission to the C-Change Fellowship, applicants must commit to attend all four sessions.
The C-Change Mentoring & Leadership Institute is designed to provide highly individualized guidance and career development to a small group of up to 14 cohort participants. The registration for this yearlong Institute costs $8,250 for tuition and fees for two-day intensive sessions four times a year, including all course materials.
All C-Change Institute sessions and overnight accommodations are at a secluded coastal historic inn in Rhode Island. This venue has been strategically chosen for the spacious well-appointed guest rooms, outdoor terraces, beautiful water views and beach access. The only distraction during the Institute sessions is the natural beauty of the surroundings. The Institute takes Covid precautions, including appropriate ventilation during meetings. Registration requires an additional $4,710 to cover hotel accommodations for eight nights and catering provided during the program.
On acceptance to the program, a deposit of $700 will be due to secure a C-Change Fellowship position. The balance ($12,260) of the total payment will be due May 12, 2025.
Limited scholarship funding is available. We encourage prospective Fellows to inquire within their institutions for funding. Many former Fellows have been successful in having the full cost of C-Change Institute registration funded by their institutions, often from across departmental, institutional, and faculty affairs sources.
Please download and complete the Institute application form: C-Change Mentoring & Leadership Institute Application Form
Cancellation Policy
The cost of tuition, residential accommodations, and meals are included in the registration fee of $12,960. The Institute’s deposit of $700 is non-refundable. If attendance is cancelled more than 90 days prior to the Institute start date, a refund of 50% of the tuition and fees will be available upon written request. C-Change is unable to offer refunds fewer than 90 days in advance of the program start date since we are unable to fill the place a Fellow has reserved through enrollment. C-Change incurs fixed non-refundable accommodation costs and substantial administrative costs in preparation for your attendance.
All C-Change Institute sessions and overnight accommodations are at a secluded coastal historic inn in Rhode Island. This venue has been strategically chosen for the spacious well-appointed guest rooms, outdoor terraces, beautiful water views and beach access. The only distraction during the Institute sessions is the natural beauty of the surroundings. The Institute takes Covid precautions, including appropriate ventilation during meetings.
The closest airports are Providence (T.F. Green International Airport) and Boston (Logan International Airport). Amtrak trains stop at Providence. Detailed travel information will be provided to participants.
Linda Pololi, MBBS, FRCP(hon)
Dr. Pololi, Distinguished Research Scientist at Brandeis University, is the Director of the National Initiative on Gender, Culture & Leadership in Medicine: C-Change (for culture change). Dedicated to improving the culture of academic medicine through research and action, C-Change aims to promote an inclusive, affirming, relational and collaborative working environment for all faculty and trainees, and to broaden leadership opportunities for all in academic medicine.
Dr. Pololi is nationally recognized for her extensive research on the culture of academic medicine and for her innovative contributions to the professional and personal development of faculty. She developed an evidence-based collaborative group peer approach to mentoring and leadership development that is predictably reliable in facilitating career enhancement and personal fulfillment for medical faculty. Her most recent NIH-funded multi-institutional research on the academic medical environment showed the importance of the “culture” to faculty vitality, challenging academic leaders to be change agents. The validated C-Change Surveys for medical faculty, residents and students have been used extensively by medical schools in the United States, Canada and the UK.
Prior to C-Change, Dr. Pololi was professor of medicine and vice chancellor for education, and was funded by US DHHS as Founding Director to establish one of four vanguard National Centers of Leadership in Academic Medicine. Dr. Pololi serves as the principal investigator of an NIH study of the C-Change Mentoring & Leadership Institute. This rigorous mixed methods study includes a randomized controlled trial to assess effectiveness of our mentoring method and delineate its mechanisms of action. Dr. Pololi was the recipient of the 2011 AAMC Women in Medicine and Science Leadership Development Award. She is a certified facilitator for the Center for Courage and Renewal and for the Academy on Communication in Healthcare.
