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Faculty Development Programs

Faculty development programs in the Department of Medicine are designed to support you at every career stage, whether you’re new to Stanford, preparing for promotion, stepping into leadership, or refining your long-term academic direction. These opportunities complement divisional support by creating structured space to connect, reflect, and build practical skills alongside peers and mentors across the department and across Stanford Medicine.

What faculty can gain from participating

  • A stronger network: build relationships with peers, mentors, sponsors, and collaborators beyond your immediate division
  • Career clarity and momentum: define goals, identify priorities, and create an actionable plan for the next 6-18 months
  • Practical strategies for success: tools for managing time and workload, communicating effectively, negotiating, and navigating academic systems
  • Support for advancement: guidance and resources aligned with promotion expectations and demonstrating impact
  • Community and belonging: connection to others facing similar challenges and transitions, reducing isolation and increasing shared learning
  • Increased visibility and opportunity: pathways to leadership development, scholarly growth, and broader departmental engagement

How to choose a program

Start with your current need—such as building a mentoring team, developing specific skills, finding community around shared interests, or planning for advancement—and select the opportunity that best matches your goals and time commitment. If you’re unsure where to begin, we can help you identify the best fit.

Career Pathways and Communities

Career Pathways and Communities connect faculty with tailored development opportunities aligned with their professional interests, goals, and areas of expertise. Through networking, mentorship, and curated programming, faculty can explore and advance careers in research, education, innovation, leadership, health equity, informatics, and more.

Explore all Career Pathways and Communities
Faculty members gather at and event.
MODEL Leadership

MODEL

MODEL is the Department of Medicine’s cross-divisional mentoring and faculty development program, designed to support faculty, especially in the Clinician Educator (CE) and University Medical Line (UML), as they build fulfilling careers and prepare for advancement. MODEL creates structured opportunities to connect with mentors, learn practical strategies for career growth, and develop a clear plan aligned with your academic pathway.

Explore the MODEL Program
MODEL Leadership, Tamara and Steph

Med-SNAP

Med-SNAP (Stanford Network for Advancement and Promotion) builds community and practical skills through facilitated, low-barrier discussions of common faculty challenges, such as advancement planning, workplace dynamics, leadership growth, and negotiation. Med-SNAP is designed to be high-impact and supportive, helping faculty learn from shared experience while building an enduring peer network.

Explore the Med-SNAP Program

Mentoring in the Divisions

Each Assistant and Associate Professor in any line will be expected to have an internal mentor within their host division.  Each division will be asked to select a Mentoring Lead. The Mentor Leads from each of the divisions will meet quarterly with the Co-Directors of the Office of Faculty Development.  Mentoring best practices will be shared with mentors and mentees.

Faculty seeking additional mentoring opportunities may contact program directors Dr. Stephanie Harman or Dr. Paul Wang

 

Sponsorship

In faculty development, sponsorship is the active, behind-the-scenes support of an influential leader who uses their power, authority, and professional networks to advocate for a  colleague's career advancement, high-visibility assignments, promotions, or leadership roles. The Office of Academic Affairs has created a sponsorship database. The Office of Faculty Development will work with the Division Mentoring Leads to help divisions create their own sponsorship databases, thereby facilitating and encouraging sponsorship throughout the divisions and the Department.