Accelerating Physician Leader Impact Michael Parmacek, M.D.

Like many physician leaders, Michael Parmacek, M.D., had to be nudged in the direction of leadership by others who saw his potential in that realm. Now, as Chair of Medicine at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine, Dr. Parmacek has made it a point to support other clinicians in their leadership journeys. He worked with the Penn Medicine Academy to develop the Enhancing Leadership Training program to help experienced and up-and-coming physician executives gain the competencies they need to excel in their roles. Job number one for physician leaders today, he says, is to solve the burnout issue that is prevalent among practicing physicians and caregivers. "People trump strategy," he believes, suggesting that the health and well-being of clinicians must supersede other initiatives to move academic medicine forward.