Your First 90 Days as Department Chair
A practical plan for the transition from clinician to leader, including what to stop doing immediately.
Dr. Maya Okafor, MDInternal Medicine · Sept. 23, 2026 · 7 min read
New chairs often try to prove themselves by fixing everything at once. The better approach is to listen first. Meet every member of the department individually in the first month and ask the same three questions.
Pick one early win
By day sixty, choose one visible, achievable problem and solve it. Early credibility buys the room for harder changes later.
Dr. Maya Okafor, MD
Dr. Okafor is a general internist and contributing editor who writes about primary care redesign and the economics of the exam room.
This article is for professional education and does not replace clinical judgment. Treatment decisions should be based on the individual patient and current guidelines.
