Professional Development

At Children’s Mercy Kansas City, we treat each of our faculty members as a truly unique individual. We don’t believe there is a “right” career — but there is a right career for you. And you get to decide what it is.

There are myriad resources dedicated to supporting your professional journey, starting with the personal relationships the Office of Faculty Development develops with new faculty. There is a place for you here, and there are many ways to find your career path.

Invest in your own developmental education

Educational programming, mentorship, service opportunities—Children’s Mercy faculty have no shortage of ways to grow.

• The Office of Faculty Development offers a full annual curriculum—sessions and workshops designed to help develop skills and strengthen relationships that lead to positive impacts on faculty, their colleagues, their health system, and their communities.
• For flexible learning, faculty have access to many on-demand online (asynchronous) resources through the Office of Faculty Development, Continuing Medical Education, and the Children’s Mercy Berry Institute.
• Children’s Mercy offers a wide variety of Continuing Medical Education opportunities, including:
  • Programs from the Leadership Center for Physicians, Office of Equity and Diversity and the Center for Wellbeing that help faculty focus on work that is meaningful to them.
  • In addition to clinical topics, this series provides thoughtful expertise in the areas of advocacy, ethics, social determinates of health, and other topics that contribute to well-rounded academic medical professionals.
  • Schwartz Rounds: Children’s Mercy has been accepted as an approved member of the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare. Schwartz Rounds focuses specifically on the personal challenges and stresses that everyone involved in health care experience, especially those issues that may threaten our ability to deliver compassionate care.
• If you are continuing your formal education, Children’s Mercy offers tuition reimbursement between $1,500 and $5,250 per year, depending on your degree program.

Build a vibrant community

In line with Children’s Mercy’s values of kindness, inclusion and team, faculty members are supported in their efforts to become part of the Children’s Mercy and greater Kansas City community.

• Children’s Mercy is committed to diversity and inclusion. In addition to working with our dedicated Office of Equity and Diversity, faculty have opportunities to serve on committees and employee resource groups (ERGs) to further those goals within academic pediatrics, including: the Clinical Caregivers Council (C3), African American Advancement (A3) ERG, CM Pride ERG, Interfaith ERG, La Casa ERG, and Access Ability ERG.
• The Office of Faculty Development sponsors community-building evening events (online and in person) to strengthen relationships and foster open conversations among faculty.
• Volunteering together in the community is a popular activity within most departments.
• Many of our faculty engage in advocacy efforts for child health issues through organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and nonpartisan legislative lobbying.

Prioritize your own wellbeing

Personal and professional wellbeing is centered around engagement in your work and with your colleagues. Engagement is achieved by providing training and leadership development opportunities tailored to your professional goals, a sense of doing work that matters, and being recognized for your accomplishments. The Center for Wellbeing not only provides evidence-based resources for individual wellbeing (including 1:1 counseling, mindfulness training, guided meditations, support groups and more), but also works with leadership to develop systems that support meaning and purpose in your work, reduce barriers that lead to burnout, and create joy in the workplace.