The Women’s Leadership Development Program (WLDP) was founded in 2015 by Dr. Megan Furnari with a group of inspired women medical students committed to improving the healthcare journey for women trainees. In 2021, the WLDP moved programming to the Provost’s Office at OHSU and expanded to include more women healthcare learners including the P.A. and D.N.P. Program. Moving forward, WLDP will continue to cultivate an inter-professional space for women’s leadership development for learners.

WLDP supports a much-needed strategy for women in medicine to speak their truth, show up as leaders, support each other and affirm the value of personal and collective narrative.

WLDP women participants are taking risks, being elected to student council positions, leading student organizations, receiving awards, and getting scholarships. WLDP is a critical liftoff point for OHSU women student leaders to take risks, achieve successes, and see their impact from early on in their medical training.

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M.D. WLDP Program

Since the creation of WLDP in 2015, greater than 100 incredible women medical student scholars and alumni have participated in the WLDP program. Some are currently in medical school and many others are in residency.

First-year WLDP women participate in approximately 10 sessions led by invited OHSU faculty and expert speakers on topics that emphasize our core pillars: leadership, community, mentorship and wellness.

Second-year WLDP women mentor and facilitate the program for new members if they desire to continue in the curriculum.

Third- and fourth-year women have opportunities to join in large community events, mentor younger women in the program, teach content, and attend conferences.

P.A. WLDP Program

Launching in 2021, the P.A. WLDP will cultivate a unique approach to fit the needs of women leaders in the P.A. program, while also synergizing with M.D. women leaders regularly to grow in an understanding of how they can work together and collectively grow as leaders together. We are expanding the current content to include the experience of P.A. women learners.

Nursing WLDP Program

Launching in 2022, WLDP included the first D.N.P. participants with the P.A. and M.D. students in the same cohort. Kristen Ash, D.N.P. faculty, helped to build the program to be inclusive of nursing language and needs. Now D.N.P. learners are fully integrated into the WLDP experience and add depth and unique experiences to the community.

Leadership

The WLDP leadership team consists of faculty and senior students.

• WLDP Founder and Director: Megan Furnari, M.D.
• Faculty P.A. Leader: Brianna Hanson
• Faculty D.N.P. Leader: Kristen Ash
• Student leadership teams are WLDP scholars who completed the first year of the program and were selected by peers and faculty as expert mentors/leaders to help our community thrive and grow.

Curriculum

WLDP consists of monthly interactive lectures taught by expert leaders from the OHSU faculty paired with WLPD student leaders. The curriculum focuses on dynamic conversations empowering trainees to become current and future leaders in healthcare. Leadership development and mentorship are two core areas of the program. Each session also includes valuable teaching and reflection on gender equity, well-being, and community building skills.

Leadership skill development

• Sessions with accomplished women including female deans, chairs, and executive leaders in the OHSU community reflecting on their careers and leadership skills.
• Encouragement of WLDP participants to run for leadership positions (successes have been numerous including multiple presidents of the student government, student group leaders, multiple scholarship/award recipients).
• Session on advocating for yourself and other women in the healthcare space.
• Brian Park, M.D., Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Director of the Relate Lab in the Department of Family Medicine and Relational Leadership Institute. Teaches about narrative leadership and how to turn your personal narrative into action and advocacy.
• Laura Zeigen, M.P.H., M.L.I.S., liaison librarian and assistant professor, OHSU School of Medicine. Teaches on history of women entering the healthcare space and the role of gender.

Mentorship

• Pairing of second-year year WLDP women with first-year year WLDP women to encourage growth and peer mentoring.
• Mentorship from expert teachers in the WLDP curriculum and from the WLDP board of women faculty and staff leaders from across OHSU.
• Megan Furnari, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, teaches on mentorship, sponsorship and networking.

Accomplishments

• Financial support and grants from the Oregon Medical Education Foundation, Medical Society of Metropolitan Portland, the OHSU School of Medicine Dean's Office & Bacon Grant, American Medical Women's Association Scholarships.
• Presentations at the American Medical Women's Association Annual Conference 2017 (3rd place win in student poster competition), American Medical Association Education Innovation Conference 2017 workshop presentation, Oregon Medical Association Annual Conference 2017 and 2018 workshop presentations, Association of American Medical Colleges annual western states meeting 2018 workshop presentation and poster.
• Multiple WLDP women becoming leaders in the School of Medicine and beyond, including: two presidents of student government, co-chair of a clinic to support health and social services for the under-served in Portland, student founders of the OHSU Gender Equity Center, student health advisory committee president addressing mental health needs of medical students, AMWA student chapter president and the majority of the leadership team, Institute for Healthcare Improvement co-president and IHI Change Agent of the Year Award Recipient.