Program Objective
Now in its 10th year, the New and Evolving Leaders (NEAL) program is designed for people in an academic health science context who are committed to becoming change agents in their spheres of influence and beyond by centering principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity and accessibility in their leadership practice. This program is intended for those who are committed to challenging the status quo, and looking to develop tools, skills, and evolving practices to positively shape our future academic health sciences system.
Program Description
Leading in academic health sciences requires people to simultaneously manage departmental or unit accountabilities within a complex continually changing environment, enact multiple roles (researcher, teacher, learner, administrator, collaborator, clinician), influence positive change for equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism – all while strategizing about how to sustain and improve a challenged system, in time of global uncertainty. To be successful, leaders need to be equipped with specific skills appropriate for successful outcomes within academic health sciences, but more importantly, with a deep understanding of their own core sense of purpose and unique capacity for influence.
NEAL is designed for people in academic health science contexts who either have formal roles as leaders or who are working to shape and shift our broader system for positive health outcomes. We encourage those who are working in community-based settings, academic units, research settings, and hospital-based settings to consider the NEAL program. Participants should have a commitment to becoming change agents in their spheres of influence and beyond by centering principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity and accessibility in their leadership practice.
In the NEAL program, the group builds a learning community through three intensive one-week modules over the year, themed as Foundations, Influence and Adaptation. In these modules, diverse faculty share resources and build capacity for reflective and relational practice, system thinking, influence and impact, and leading from adaptive purpose. Between modules, participants deepen their learning with coaching, peer connections, diverse assignments and leading a capstone project through engaging others.
The program is intentionally shaped to bring together a diverse set of participant leaders to consider how we all need to work collaboratively in shaping and shifting our broader system for positive health outcomes. Learners may have a formal role as a leader, or may be an influencer or change agent with a meaningful purpose. We encourage those who are working in community based settings, academic units, research settings, and hospital-based settings to consider the NEAL program.
Key Features of the Program
- Engagement with faculty and peers who are thought leaders from diverse spheres and lived experience
- Deep exploration of your strengths, sense of purpose and potential for meaningful impact.
- Deepened facility and confidence with core principles of inclusive, antiracist leadership
- Tools, skills, and evolving practices to positively shape our future academic health sciences system.
- Support to apply your learning in your workplace.
- Coaching, creative exercises, reflections, personalized feedback and dynamic learning sessions that support your personalized learning agenda and authentic leadership style
- Individualized and collaborative coaching experiences
- Emphasis on collaborative approaches to leadership and inviting diverse perspectives and models for leadership development (including non-Colonial knowledge systems and approaches)
- Engagement with leadership peers from a diversity of academic, community and healthcare contexts beyond your own
- Maximizing opportunities for workplace based learning and application
- Providing the learning context to explore relevant stretch goals and to engage in collaborative problem solving on shared challenges
- Shadowing an admired leader
- Initiation of a meaningful change effort in an academic context during the course of the program
- University of Toronto Certificate of added qualification upon program completion
For 2022-2023, the NEAL program was an accredited program by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. NEAL was awarded credits for the Royal College Maintenance of Certification Sections 1, 3-Simulation & 3-Self-Assessment.
Note to Physician Leaders: NEAL is a Canadian Society of Physician Leaders-approved leadership CPD activity required as part of the Academic Route for the Canadian Certified Physician Executive (CCPE) designation.
Application Process
Interested in applying? Click here for the application process.
CFD Membership
All NEAL participants will be automatically enrolled as a CFD General Member for the academic year following completion of the program.
Contact
Cate Creede
Program Lead
cate.creede@gmail.com
Susan Lieff
Program Lead
s.lieff@utoronto.ca
Manpreet Saini
Education Program Coordinator, Leadership and Special Projects
manpreet.saini@unityhealth.to
Prerequisites: Applicants are leaders (with or without formal institutional roles/titles) who are engaging in advancing the academic or system innovation/equity missions of education, research or program development in the health sciences.
Who should apply: NEAL is designed for people in academic health science contexts who either have formal roles as leaders or who are working to shape and shift our broader system for positive health outcomes. We encourage those who are working in community-based settings, academic units, research settings, and hospital-based settings to consider the NEAL program. Participants should have a commitment to becoming change agents in their spheres of influence and beyond by centering principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity and accessibility in their leadership practice.
Format: Largely virtual synchronous sessions (via Zoom) with some in person sessions at the beginning and end of the program
Upcoming Dates:
Module 1:
September 27-29, 2023 *In-person in Toronto
October 16-17, 2023 *Virtual
Module 2:
Jan 22-25, 2024 *Virtual
Module 3:
May 6-8, 2024 *Virtual
May 23-24, 2024 *In-person in Toronto
Fees:
Standard Tuition Rate*:
Early bird member rate – $12,350
Member rate – $12,850
Non-member rate – $14,777.50
Basic Sciences Tuition Rate**:
Early bird member rate – $10,150
Member rate – $10,650
Non-member rate – $12,247.50
Early bird rates are only applicable to CFD Members. You must be registered as a CFD member prior to submitting your application to receive the member rates. CFD General Membership is $90/person for the year. Membership is FREE for Unity Health Toronto staff, physicians, learners and patient/family partners and Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto staff, faculty (incl. status only) and learners. Click here to sign up or for more details.
* Underrepresented faculty members from the Temerty Faculty of Medicine who are sponsored by their departments to participate in the 2023-24 NEAL Program, are eligible to have 50% of their tuition funded by the Dean’s Office. For more information, Temerty Medicine department chairs and prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the Office of the Dean at medicine.dean@utoronto.ca
** for those who identify as basic scientists in the following departments: Anatomy, Biochemistry, Immunology, Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Medical Biophysics, Molecular Genetics, Nutritional Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Physiology.
Register:
To apply to NEAL, please follow the following steps:
- Create a CFD User Account. You can do so by clicking here. If you have already created an account, click here to log in. Please note you will be required to set up a new account and password for our new website. We will connect your account with your previous CFD event records. *Please note this user account is NOT the same as membership. For membership information, please see step 3.
- You will receive an activation link immediately (check your junk mail). Once your account is activated, please log in and complete your online profile by selecting “My profile” from the options on the left hand side of the page.
- You may consider purchasing CFD membership if you don’t already have it, in order to take advantage of discounted tuition rates for NEAL for CFD members. Membership is FREE for Unity Health Toronto staff, physicians, learners and patient/family partners and Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto staff, faculty (incl. status only) and learners.
- Prepare your application package:
- Application Form
- Short CV
- 4-page Statement of Expressed Interest (specifics outlined in the application package)
- Signed Learner Contract
- Upload your application package here
Deadlines for applications are:
Early Bird: April 18, 2023* (applicable to CFD members only)
Final: May 18, 2023
*Early bird deadline and tuition rates are only applicable to CFD Members. You must be registered as a CFD member prior to submitting your application to receive the member rates. Click here to sign up or for more details.
You will be notified of the NEAL Selection Committee’s decision (i.e., conditional offers of acceptance) by mid-June 2023.
Certificate: Participants will receive a certificate upon successful completion of all program requirements.
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Upcoming Events
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3AprThis virtual community event is for CFD members to come together to during a lunch and learn to discuss emerging curiosities, questions and tensions within health professions education on the topic of the month.
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4AprParticipants will have an opportunity to explore the instructional design strategy, productive failure, and how it can support the development of adaptive expertise. We will define productive failure, describe how productive failure has been used in health professions education, and illustrate how participants can use productive failure design approaches in their practice.
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6AprThis workshop will guide participants through the application of the “Principles for Anti-Oppressive Program Development in HPE” guiding principles framework to their own program development needs. This principles framework is for anyone who is involved in the process of designing, developing and/or delivering programs in health professions education. It includes key questions around several decision points in this process, including budgeting, recruitment, format, accessibility, content choices, and more.
FAQs
Q. How do I create and/or activate my account to log into the site?
Q. Is there a cost to attend your programs?
A. There is a cost to participate in some of our programs. The cost of each of our programs varies and in some cases, the cost varies depending on your status with the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at University of Toronto and/or in which hospital you work as well as whether or not you have an annual CFD Membership.
Q.I do not have a faculty appointment in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Can I still attend your workshops, programs and/or events? Is there a fee?
A. Anyone whose education activities include teaching, leading, scholarship and advocacy are welcome to attend our workshops, programs and/or events. Specific pre-requisite criteria may apply. Please refer to each workshop, program or event page for details. All fees and discounts (where applicable) can be found in the workshop, program and event pages.
Q.I am interested in having one of your workshops offered at my home site/department. Do you offer this type of service?
A. Please contact us for further information. The availability of this service is dependent on the resources and capacity of the CFD at the time the request is made.
Q: Is having a CFD Membership the same as having a CFD account?
A: No, a CFD Membership is not the same as a CFD account. However, in order to complete your CFD Membership registration you will be prompted to create a CFD account if you do not already have one. To register for a CFD General Membership and create your account click here.
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Our Programs
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