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Indian American physician releases leadership guide for doctors
The book focuses on helping clinicians navigate the transition from patient care to senior healthcare leadership roles.
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Staff Reporter - Fri, 06, Feb 2026
- 14:49 EST
- 9
Vidhya Prakash/ Book's cover / American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL)
Indian American physician and healthcare executive Vidhya Prakash has released a book offering guidance to doctors seeking to move from clinical practice into leadership roles.
Published by the American Association for Physician Leadership, ‘The Leadership Learning Curve: A Woman Physician’s Journey as a Chief Medical Officer’ is positioned as a practical guide for physicians navigating executive responsibilities within complex healthcare systems.
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The book focuses on helping clinicians understand healthcare administration, leadership decision-making, and career transitions, while addressing challenges that often accompany the shift from patient care to organizational leadership.
According to the publisher, the book examines themes such as imposter phenomenon, work-life integration, and bias in leadership, particularly for women physicians. It also covers healthcare finance, adaptive leadership, emotional intelligence, conflict mediation, prioritization, and executive-level interviews, combining theory with real-world healthcare examples.
“This book dispels the darkness in so many realms of healthcare leadership,” Prakash said. “It serves as both a reference for understanding the U.S. healthcare system and finance, and as a leadership toolkit that empowers readers to make systemic changes and transform their healthcare organizations.”
The book is intended for a broad readership, including medical students, residents, and physicians at early and mid-career stages considering leadership pathways, as well as clinicians already working in administrative roles.
Prakash serves as chief medical officer and associate dean of clinical affairs and population health at SIU Medicine, where she has overseen clinical operations involving more than 300 physicians and 1,500 staff. Her professional experience informs the book’s approach to leadership preparation and institutional decision-making.
Beyond her institutional role, Prakash has held several leadership positions focused on equity and workforce development. She founded SIU Medicine’s Alliance for Women in Medicine, which received national recognition through a grant from the American Medical Association supporting the advancement of women in medicine.
She has also chaired the Illinois department of public health’s diversity in Health Care Task Force and currently serves as secretary of the American Medical Women's Association board.
In the foreword, Jerry Kruse, underscores the need for healthcare leaders with direct patient-care experience who prioritize ethical decision-making, writing that Prakash’s work addresses a critical gap in medical leadership development.
Founded in 1975, the American Association for Physician Leadership focuses exclusively on leadership education and management training for physicians and has worked with more than 300,000 doctors across 35 countries.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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