Academic Medicine Dean Insights: Sandra Wong, M.D.

Dr. Sandra Wong has a decorated C.V. and vast experience but, she admits, nothing can truly prepare a person to assume an academic medicine dean role. Six months into her position as dean of the Emory School of Medicine, Dr. Wong reflects on what got her here, and what success now means, in this podcast discussion with WittKieffer's Joyce De Leo, Ph.D.

The traditional path to a deanship (division chief, chair, associate dean, dean) may no longer hold, but that's okay, says Dr. Wong. Leaders learn from the unique experiences and peer advice that force them to be "comfortable being uncomfortable."

Good leaders also help their teams through change and uncomfortable times, with an eye on the "why" and the end goal of change initiatives. “If people really feel like their cheese is being moved for no reason, that’s a very different equation,” she says. Dr. Wong also believes that good leaders are good team members, "leave their egos at the door", and realize that leadership is not about them but about others.

Ultimately, success as a dean is not about perfection (especially in an era of high pressure and razor-thin margins in academic medicine), but about embracing the moment, she believes. "None of us get away without having some failures," she says. "Embrace those failures . . . learn from them and move on." She adds: "Stay in the moment. Enjoy the work that's in front of you."