Medical Association of Georgia Foundation

Georgia Physicians Leadership Academy

The Georgia Physicians Leadership Academy (GPLA) was established in 2007 to provide organized medicine at the local, state, and national levels. GPLA maintains an ever-growing population of effective leaders by equipping physicians with the tools, skills, and learning opportunities needed to holistically fill the role of a leader, and to in turn mentor aspiring leaders. The program is a year long and is broken down into six sessions. The curriculum is centered around developing skills around media communication, conflict resolution, and advocacy. Physicians will also complete a confidential individualized 360 degree evaluation tool. The program will culminate with leadership project presentations and a graduation ceremony.

The GPLA Steering Committee, since the inception of the program, has sought input on the curriculum from students, graduates, sponsoring organizations, the state Association, and the Physicians’ Foundation. This insures that the program remains responsive to the changing needs of physicians and physician leaders, as the program is reviewed by physicians with wide and varying experiences. An example of a change to the program resulting from this process, is the addition of a physician resilience session to the curriculum. This was prompted by GPLA student, Dr. Keisha Callins of Class X, who made the topic the basis of her required Leadership Project. She has since agreed to lead a presentation on the subject as a part of the GPLA curriculum, with the first occurring in January 2020. The program Steering Committee intends for the discussion to remain a part of the program for subsequent classes.