Center for Personal and Professional Development -Office of Educational Excellence

The Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) supports students in a team-based approach dedicated to developing the whole person. Our longitudinal model, in which a PPD Coach remains with their students from orientation to graduation, emphasizes the value of personal, professional, character and leadership development. Our focus in CPPD is to provide evidence-based coaching and programming for all students at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Our work is generously supported by funding from the Kern Family Foundation as well as collaborative partnerships with The Program for Leadership and Character in the Professional Schools and the Kern National Network for Flourishing in Medicine.

Personal and Professional Development (PPD) Coaches

Our coaching model is student-centered, supporting the development of their strengths, to support skills in life-long learning such as collaboration, effective communication, curiosity and self-reflection.
Students will engage in evidence-based coaching within CPPDs four pillars: academic success, career exploration, wellbeing and culture/community.
Examples of our services include giving and receiving feedback, finding study groups, setting personal and professional goals with an accountability partner, learning to use institutional and local resources, staying connected to hobbies and fun, asking for help.
CPPD serves all Wake Forest University School of Medicine learners across Winston-Salem, Boone and Charlotte campuses e.g. learners in the PA, Academic Nursing, biomedical graduate and MD programs are encouraged to connect with PPD coaches for individualized support and navigating institutional resources.
All School of Medicine students will meet CPPD at New Student Orientation to learn how to use our services. All School of Medicine students will be invited to attend our ongoing programming.
For the MD Program, one PPD coach is assigned to each of the four total Houses (learning communities) in Winston-Salem and one PPD coach is assigned to each of the two total Houses in Charlotte.
Coach offices are strategically located near the MD Houses – on the third floor of the Bowman Gray Center for Medical Education (BGCME) building in Winston-Salem or on the sixth floor of the Center for Education building in Charlotte. Our services can be provided by in-person or virtual appointments. Coaches are also available on a walk-in basis.

In the MD Program, students will receive coaching, in 1-1s with students and/or House meetings and at regular intervals throughout their preclerkship experience as M1s and M2s.