Empowering women in healthcare leadership
The Emerging Women Leaders Programme is a development programme designed specifically to address the under-representation of women in medical leadership roles.
The Emerging Women Leaders programme is designed to empower and elevate women in healthcare leadership. This comprehensive healthcare leadership training provides personalised mentorship, networking opportunities, and advanced leadership skills for female clinicians.
Applications for our 2025/26 cohort are open and will close on 1 July 2025.
Apply nowWhy choose our programme?
Our leadership development for women focuses on enhancing your professional capabilities and confidence. With expert-led courses and a supportive community, you'll gain the tools to take the next step in your leadership journey.
Hear from past delegatesProgramme overview
Our teaching days consist of the topics below:
- Day 1: Getting to know you
Recognise the challenges and barriers you face and reflect on your own leadership journey and aspirations.
- Day 2: The individual as a leader
Focus on clinical leadership, use of the MBTI report, learn to apply feedback and appraisal.
- Day 3: Your leadership journey
Review and reflect on your leadership journey so far, focus on resilience and delve into EDI awareness.
- Day 4: Organisational leadership
Focus on enabling effective team working, role modelling and recognise the requirements of the accreditation assignment.
- Day 5: Celebrations and next steps
Practice your leadership skills in negotiation and influence, create a manifesto to support other women in medicine, and share next steps with peers. Followed by a networking event with peers and guest speakers.
“As ever, the EWL days highlight that I am not alone in the experiences and struggles I encounter at work. A lot of us have similar experiences and it’s really helpful to hear how others face/tackle them.”
Anonymous response from EWL Day 4, London Cohort (24 February 2024)
- Mentorship for women in healthcare: Receive guidance and mentorship from experienced clinical leaders who understand the unique challenges faced by women.
- Networking for women in healthcare: Connect with peers and women leaders in the NHS to build valuable professional relationships. Join a group of likeminded women, of similar career stages looking to develop their skills and confidence.
- Advanced leadership skills for female doctors: Engage in a curriculum tailored to your career growth and the complex leadership challenges you might face in healthcare.
- Empowering confidence in leadership abilities: breaking the barriers and allowing you to envision your next role, enabling you to take the next step. You will build new leadership skills and recognise the skills you already have.
- Achieve an Emerging Women Leader Accreditation: recognition of the leadership development you have committed to in the year-long programme.This option to gain accreditation will support future applications and appraisals as evidence of you putting these skills into action.
Benefit from personalised guidance and insights through at least three dedicated mentoring sessions with a senior woman leader. Gain invaluable advice and support to navigate your role with confidence and expertise.
Forge meaningful connections with peers and women leaders within the NHS, fostering valuable professional relationships. Become part of a supportive community of like-minded women at similar career stages, all eager to enhance their skills and advance their careers together.
Alongside this, you will receive ongoing peer group support through an action learning set (ALS). ALS sessions find practical ways of addressing the ‘real life’ challenges that are faced in the workplace, through a structured process of insightful questioning combined with a balance of support and challenge from group members.
This course is designed for women doctors who are starting on their consultant-level leadership journey, at whatever stage in their career this may be. This includes a wide range of individuals such as: post-CCT doctors seeking a consultant role, consultants in the first few years in the consultant role, SAS doctors with equivalent experience, and those who are beginning their leadership journey later due to career breaks or other responsibilities.
If you are unsure if the programme is suitable for you, whatever your age or job title, please contact WomenInMedicine@rcp.ac.uk to discuss your individual circumstances.
Liverpool dates
- Day 1: Liverpool (7 October 2025)
- Day 2: Liverpool (2 December 2025)
- Day 3: Liverpool (10 February 2026)
- Day 4: Liverpool (21 April 2026)
- Day 5: Networking day for both cohorts in London (23 June 2026)
London dates
- Day 1: London (14 October 2025)
- Day 2: London (9 December 2025)
- Day 3: London (3 February 2026)
- Day 4: London (14 April 2026)
- Day 5: Networking day for both cohorts in London (23 June 2026)
The fee for the emerging women leaders programme, including the development days, personalised mentoring, action learning sets, and networking is £4,200 for non-members, and £2940 for members of the RCP (30% discount), find out more about membership.
Organisations wishing to make multiple bookings should contact: WomenInMedicine@rcp.ac.uk
We have a limited number of funded places available for RCP members, you must be a member at time of application. Find out more about membership.
“Excellent teaching and input from facilitators and guest speaker who shared a lot of experience and wisdom."
Dr Sarah Shotton
Consultant, respiratory medicine
How do I apply?
Applications for the 2025/26 cohort are open and will close on 1 July 2025. We have listed the details of what information we will need; you can apply using the form below.
Self-funded and employer-funded applications
Applications for self-funded or employer-funded places are reviewed on a rolling basis, applications may close early if all places are offered.
If you are an employer wishing to secure a place on the programme but have not identified your applicant, please contact the team via email: education.courses@rcp.ac.uk. The team will be able to reserve a place for your learner. If you are wishing to book multiple places on the programme, please contact education.courses@rcp.ac.uk. We will be able to offer a multi-seat discount.
Funded places
There are a very limited number of funded places on this programme. If you wish to be considered for a funded place, as part of your application you will need to provide a short statement outlining any previous formal leadership training you have undertaken, and any personal financial circumstance we should take into account when allocating the funding.
This statement should include your reason for requiring funding support, which may include, as examples, less than full-time working, caring responsibilities, experience of challenge or discrimination in the workplace, or other personal circumstances you wish us to consider. All information will be kept in confidence and deleted after allocation of funding.
Apply using the form below.
Apply now“Wide range of topics covered. Huge amount of content - all good for thought."
Dr Surangi Mendis
Consultant, audio vestibular medicine