Faculty Development
Intensive train-the-trainer program for clinicians who want to become licensed VitalTalk Faculty and join a growing community changing the culture of healthcare.
faculty development
Two sessions set 3-6 months apart?
Learn to teach communication skills at your institution
Delivering serious news, prognosis, goals of care?
Virtual: $5,990
In-person: $7,590
Payment plans available?
Upcoming Faculty Development Courses
Now Accepting Applications For Our Fall 2025 Faculty Development Scholarship Pilot
In response to high demand, we’re piloting a scholarship program to expand access to our Virtual Faculty Development courses. A limited number of discounted seats will be available across our three Fall/Winter 2025 offerings. Each scholarship covers 40% of the total course cost, with recipients responsible for the remaining $3,594 tuition.
Eligibility & Priority Consideration
- Must hold an educational role and actively provide patient care
- Must have completed or be enrolled in a VitalTalk prerequisite course
- Priority to those who work with underserved populations or in safety-net settings, identify with historically marginalized groups, or have limited access to continuing education funds (e.g. nursing, social work, spiritual care, international applicants)
Application Deadline: August 7, 2025 12pm PT. Selections will be made in advance of each course date.
This curriculum is developed from our evidence-based teaching methodology of observation, practice and feedback. It incorporates small group work, goal setting, and professional actors as simulated patients.
how it works
The first workshop (R1) will give you a deep preparation for using core facilitation skills in your own practice. Then, after you have practiced your new skills and have had time to reflect on them, you will return for a second workshop (R2) that teaches you how to run your own Powered by VitalTalk communication skills program in your institution (both sessions mandatory to graduate).
The course will teach you facilitation skills for simulated role-play and bedside teaching that you can employ in your role as a clinician educator. You will leave this course feeling more confident in your own communication skills and ability to teach them to others.
A different kind of course
Upon completion of the course, you will be ready to teach and host a one day Mastering Tough Conversations communication course that focuses on skills for early palliative care discussion and a late palliative care discussion using simulated patients. Also included in the course is a license agreement, which allows you to receive the latest versions of our teaching maps, simulated patient cases, and facilitation guides that are exclusive to VitalTalk Faculty.
Task structure
This is an intensive two part training series. The first workshop will give you a deep preparation for using core skills in your own practice. Some of the first session’s keys objectives are as follows:
- Communication skills practice refresher
- Introduction and practice of the VitalTalk Facilitation model for both small group workshop-oriented teaching and teaching in real time clinical settings
- Community building
- Post course engagement to keep skills fresh
Then, 3-6 months later, after you have practiced your new skills and have had time to reflect on them, you will return for a second three-day workshop.