Jillian Catalanotti, M.D., M.P.H., Selected as Fellow in AAMC Leadership Program

Jillian Catalanotti, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine and director of the internal medicine residency program at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), has been chosen as one of a select group of medical education leaders for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Certificate Program.

After applying for the program in Jan., Catalanotti was selected as one of 12 fellows in the Northeast Group on Educational Affairs (NEGEA), a regional subset of the AAMC, in Feb.

The two-year program is designed to provide the knowledge, skills, and practical experience educational professionals in academic medicine need to be successful leaders. During the program, Catalanotti will be working with a mentor on an ongoing basis over the course of two years, and will attend in-person, as well as web- and conference-call-based workshops.

During the first of two in-person workshops held during the NEGEA Annual Meeting in New Haven, Connecticut last April, Catalanotti met the additional 11 fellows and six AAMC-assigned mentors, and discussed how to get the most out of mentorship and how to align an individual’s goals and visions with that of one’s institution.

“We all have similar challenges and were able to help each other brainstorm and work through them,” Catalanotti said. “The idea is to apply the leadership lessons we’ve learned in the workshops at our own institutions, reflect on our application, and then discuss with the group when we meet again.”

In order to apply for the program, Catalanotti needed the recommendation of both the department chair and her colleagues.

“I think it demonstrates the support we have here within the Department of Medicine and that we’re all committed to faculty development for the mutual benefit of the department.” Catalanotti said. “It’s a sign of our commitment to developing leaders, to innovation, and to welcoming new visions.”

For more information about the AAMC’s LEAD Certificate Program, visit https://www.aamc.org/members/gea/lead/.