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Department chairs face challenges both from within and beyond their departments while trying to create a supportive atmosphere for their faculty, grow research, encourage education, and provide exceptional clinical care. Explore resources specific to the department chair role, especially for those new to the position. Offerings include information on upcoming department chair events, reflections on the chair lifecycle, reading lists, and more.

Upcoming events for department chairs

• Chairs Meeting at the AAN Annual Meeting: April 20, 2026, from 2:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m. CT

Lifecycle of the department chair

Leaders of the Academic Neurology Committee and Department Chair Subcommittee have reflected on the needs of department chairs over time and developed the lifecycle below. The goal is to provide chairs with important questions for reflection and how to approach those questions at different career phases.  
 
The lifecycle of the average department chair can be roughly divided into 3 phases: 
Phase 1: ~ first 5 years 
Phase 2: ~ second 5 years 
Phase 3: ~ 10+ years 
 
Though focused on neurology, these principles are common for chair positions in other medical specialties, and many principles will apply to other leaders, such as division chiefs, medical directors, and program directors. There are common principles that apply to all stages of the lifecycle. Throughout a chair’s tenure, the focus on specific themes evolves and is summarized in Table 1.