Prefer structure over self-direction?

AAPL's standard CPE path is self-paced, where you choose your own courses, on your own timeline. The CPE Annual Cohort is the other way to get there: one fixed 18-month schedule, one price, and one group of physician colleagues moving through the same curriculum together, from kickoff to Capstone.

Either path leads to the same CPE credential and the same eligibility requirements. The Annual Cohort adds the structure and the built-in network.

Among physicians who've completed the program, 90.3% agree it empowered them to achieve their leadership goals, and 70% say the organizational changes they made were largely a result of the knowledge and skills gained through the CPE.

Want to set your own pace instead? See the self-paced CPE certification path.

Learn alongside physician colleagues who understand the job

The Annual Cohort pairs you with a group of physician leaders who move through the same curriculum, at the same pace, for the full 18 months. That shared timeline does double duty: it keeps you accountable to a schedule, and it builds a standing network of peers across specialties who've faced the same leadership challenges you have, gaining a network that doesn't end when the program does.

Huddles connect coursework to your real leadership challenges

Each Virtual Huddle is led by a CPE. These sessions take what you just learned in your coursework and work it against real situations you're facing in your own leadership role, from budget conversations, performance management, quality initiatives. The material sticks because you've already applied it before you ever reach Capstone.

Every action plan and project builds toward Capstone

Along the way, you'll complete a series of action plans and projects that build your Capstone Leadership Summary Presentation piece by piece:

• 1 Micro-Credential Action Plan — from the Fundamentals of Physician Leadership coursework

• 3 Hybrid Projects — one from each hybrid course in the program

• 1 Program Action Plan — your capstone-level synthesis, completed during Wrap-Up

By the time you reach Capstone, you're not starting from scratch, rather you're refining work you've already built.

Advisor Check-ins keep you moving forward

Your Education Advisor checks in with you at set points throughout the program, from choosing your electives to reviewing your progress. If you hit a scheduling conflict or fall behind, your Advisor works with you on next steps, so the 18-month commitment never feels like it's on you to manage alone.

What the CPE credential does for you:

• Highlights your business acumen to colleagues, current and future employers, and recruiters

• Indicates your ability to transition into diverse healthcare leadership roles

• Demonstrates your capacity to manage budgets and address HR challenges

• Validates your strategic business insights
  

Where it can take you

CPE holders have gone on to roles including:

• Chief Medical Officer

• Chief Quality Officer

• Chief Population Health Officer

• Chief Medical Information Officer

• VP of Medical Affairs

• Residency Program Director

All of these across specialties from cardiothoracic surgery to anesthesiology to pediatric surgery.