Physician Well-Being Director Course
Now accepting applications for the Fall 2025 course cohort beginning October 23, 2025.
Course Description and Design
Framed by the Stanford Model of Professional FulfillmentTM, this virtual six-week educational series equips leaders with knowledge and tools to advance well-being at the unit level in departments, divisions, practices, sites, and groups. The course is designed as a synchronous, live learning experience on Zoom, with assignments and activities to complete between sessions in a secure learning management system. This course contains didactic presentations and discussions led by Stanford Medicine faculty, peer-to-peer learning, and individual participant work. The course requires approximately five (5) dedicated hours per week (including session time, prework, homework, and exercises).
The Fall 2025 course takes place over consecutive Thursdays from October 23 – December 4, 2025 (skipping November 27), from 2:00-4:30PM Pacific, with an optional 30 minutes of networking time after the educational session.
Applicant Profile
This course is designed to support physician leaders with a mandate to improve physician well-being on their team or in their department. Charged with championing physician wellness, these individuals have influence on leadership decisions affecting the well-being of their unit.
Applicants are vetted for participation based on their current role and scope. Applicants who aspire to have such a role, in the future, or who are in different well-being roles, are considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicant roles may include: chiefs, chairs, medical directors, wellness committee leader, quality improvement leader, residency/fellowship program director, etc.
Senior well-being healthcare leaders with organization-wide responsibilities (e.g. Chief Wellness Officers, Chief Medical Officers, Dean’s of Faculty Development, and other executive-level leaders) are encouraged to apply instead for our Chief Wellness Officer Course (CWOC), which is a week-long, immersive, in-person course designed to help executive-level leaders spearhead organization-wide strategy for physician well-being. Information on the CWOC can be found on the Chief Wellness Officer Course website.
Application Process
Applications are open for the Fall 2025 course cohort. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and in most cases, you will be notified within 5-10 business days.
Application materials include organizational information, role overview, and questions related to organizational commitment to well-being. Apply here.
Course Fees
The 2025 course fee is $850. This includes 6 live and interactive sessions with Stanford Medicine faculty, access to key foundational research and articles, and networking opportunities.
A Department Well-Being Director is an expert...
- In listening to the needs of their unit or clinic
- In partnering with leadership
- In the science of physician well-being
- At identifying worthy, wellness related improvement efforts
- At piloting and developing ideas
- In empowering team members to participate and develop initiatives.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this educational activity, learners will be able to:
- List the factors that contribute to well-being for physicians and other clinicians.
- Develop familiarity with evidence-based approaches to promote professional fulfillment for physicians using a framework that includes culture of wellness, efficiency of practice, and personal resilience.
- Navigate your individual unit’s needs and enact group-specific interventions designed to promote professional fulfillment.
- Utilize effective methods to gain peer and leadership collaboration.
- Recognize the importance of inclusion and belonging in achieving the goals of professional fulfillment and well-being.
- Integrate basic principles of improvement science into approaching local physician well-being initiatives.
FAQ
Contact Us
We hope you find the information above and the Frequently Asked Questions section below helpful. If your questions about the course are not answered on this web page, questions may be directed to wbdirectorcourse@stanford.edu. Please note that we receive a high volume of emails regarding this course, and while we attempt to respond in a timely manner, responses may require a few days. Thank you for understanding.