Continuing Education Options for Health Professionals: Doctor of Whole Health Leadership

If you’re exploring continuing education for health professionals, you’re probably looking for something deeper—something that goes beyond checking a box. Maybe you’ve seen firsthand how the current system needs change. Maybe you’re ready to lead that change yourself.

The Doctor of Whole Health Leadership is built for experienced professionals who want to grow, inspire, and make a bigger impact. It’s about transforming healthcare from the inside out—while also reconnecting with your own sense of purpose. Whether you’re a clinician, administrator, or someone working in wellness, there’s a next step that feels meaningful, flexible, and built with real-world leadership in mind.

Finding the Right Fit: Education Pathways for Every Stage of Your Career

Staying current and making an impact in today’s healthcare landscape means staying in motion. Continuing education for health professionals comes in many forms—each with its own rhythm, timeframe, and goal. Whether you’re aiming to deepen your clinical expertise or transition into policy or leadership, there’s a program built for that next chapter.

Certificate Programs

Certificate programs are designed for professionals who want to sharpen a skillset or explore a new area without committing to a full degree. Popular options include:

• Integrative and functional health

• Health equity and social justice

• Data analytics in healthcare

These are often short, flexible, and can be stacked alongside your existing work or practice.

Master’s Degrees

For clinicians who want to step into administrative, teaching, or public health roles, a master’s degree often opens that door. Programs in healthcare administration, education, or public health are built for professionals who want to make change on a broader scale—within systems, communities, or institutions.

Doctoral Degrees

Doctoral degrees help experienced professionals push the boundaries of their field. Whether you’re interested in conducting research, leading transformative care models, or influencing policy, this is where long-term impact begins. Examples include:

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

• EdD in Health Professions Education

• PhD in Public Health

• Doctor of Whole Health Leadership (DrWHL)

These programs blend advanced knowledge with system-level leadership.

Professional Fellowships

Fellowships are another rich opportunity, offering intensive, often cohort-based training and mentorship. Options from groups like the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (AIHM) or the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health (ACIMH) can help deepen your knowledge in integrative or lifestyle medicine, and may even align with a concurrent doctoral program.

Short Courses and CEUs

Sometimes you just need a quick skill refresh or to meet state licensure renewal requirements. That’s where CEUs (continuing education units) and short courses come in. They’re often offered online and can be focused on anything from patient communication to digital health tools.

What Is Whole Health—and Why Is It the Future of Healthcare?

Whole Health is a transformative model of care that sees the patient as a person first—considering their mind, body, spirit, community, and sense of purpose. It’s not just about treating illness. It’s about supporting wellbeing, guiding people toward what matters most to them, and fostering healing environments that actually sustain long-term health.

This approach has been pioneered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is gaining traction nationwide. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has called Whole Health one of the most urgent and necessary shifts in U.S. healthcare today.

Building a System That Supports Real Health

To make Whole Health work, it requires rethinking everything—from how clinics operate to how care teams collaborate. That’s where leadership comes in. Implementing this model at scale means training health professionals to lead system change, build cross-disciplinary teams, and advocate effectively within their organizations and beyond.

These leaders are needed now more than ever. Whole Health is quickly becoming central to the future of medicine—and the call for professionals equipped to guide this shift is growing every year.

What Makes a Doctoral Program Worth Your Time?

If you’re exploring continuing education for health professionals and thinking about a doctoral path, the program you choose matters. This is a significant investment of your time and energy, and it should give you the right tools, insight, and momentum.

1. Relevance to Emerging Healthcare Priorities

Whole Health, health equity, and trauma-informed care are shaping the next generation of healthcare. The strongest programs build their curriculum around these evolving needs, helping you develop the tools to lead change and support meaningful transformation in real-world care settings.

2. Built for Professionals Who Already Have a Full Plate

Flexible formats matter. Think hybrid delivery: online coursework combined with short, in-person intensives that are rich in connection, mentorship, and practical application. This kind of structure respects your time and leverages your experience.

3. Outcomes That Actually Mean Something

The right program helps you create lasting change—both for your career and the systems you care about. That might include leading a capstone project focused on systems transformation, publishing meaningful work, engaging in one-on-one leadership coaching, or building a strong foundation in advocacy and innovation.

The Right Program Knows Who You Are

A great doctoral program will also acknowledge your background. Whether you come from clinical care, health education, administration, or policy, your experience should shape the path you take. Top-tier programs offer concentrations or tracks that let you focus on what matters most to your goals.

And don’t overlook who’s teaching. Are the faculty still doing the work themselves? Are they actively shaping the conversation around Whole Health and healthcare transformation? Seek mentors, not just instructors.

From Vision to Action: Your Leadership Journey Starts at SCU

At Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU), we believe transformation starts with leadership—and leadership begins with education that meets the moment. Our Doctor of Whole Health Leadership (DrWHL) program was developed in partnership with the very architects of the Whole Health movement. If you’re a healthcare professional ready to lead change at the system level, this is where your next chapter begins.

Our students come from a range of healthcare backgrounds—nurses, physicians, therapists, administrators—and they share a single purpose: to bring whole-person care into the future of healthcare. We designed this program to equip you with the tools, relationships, and confidence to do just that.

What to Expect from the DrWHL Program

This is a professionally rigorous and personally reflective doctorate. You’ll engage in nine terms of online coursework, four in-person weekend intensives, and a Capstone Project that allows you to take your ideas directly into action.

At a Glance

• • 2.25-year timeline (9 terms)
  • 51 total credits (38 core + 13 track-specific)

• 4 immersive weekend intensives

• Capstone Project designed around your passions and goals

• Multiple entry tracks to meet your career background

The DrWHL is led by true pioneers in the Whole Health movement. The Executive Director of the program, Dr. Tracy Gaudet, MD, helped build the VA’s Whole Health initiative from the ground up—and she now personally mentors and guides students through the transformation process. Our Program Director, Lauri Phillips, RDN, LD  brings years of Whole Health development experience from national institutions and integrates that wisdom into our academic framework.

Built for Today’s Healthcare Leaders

The curriculum reflects what healthcare systems need right now:

• Strategies for transforming clinical culture and delivery
• Skills in policy advocacy, community partnerships, and speaking
• The confidence to lead in traditional and integrative health spaces

Each course is intentionally designed to build toward system-level change. You’ll also gain mentorship from national thought leaders, and join a network of like minded professionals who are already shaping the future.

Choose the Track That Matches Your Mission

Whether you’re an educator, administrator, or clinician, we have a pathway that fits your goals.

Track Options

• DrWHL for Administrators, Educators, and Non-Fellow Clinicians

• DrWHL with AIHM Fellowship

• DrWHL for Graduates of an Integrative Medicine Fellowship

No matter your entry point, we’ll work with you to make sure your previous education and experience are honored and integrated into your doctoral path.

The Personal Side of Transformation

While this program equips you to lead on a grand scale, it also invites you to turn inward. Our weekend intensives give you space to focus on your own Whole Health through self-reflection, self-care practices, and community-building. And through your Capstone Project, you’ll start making change from day one—whether that’s launching a new pilot program, developing policy, or implementing care models in your current organization.

Empower Communities, Transform Systems, Start with SCU

If you’re exploring continuing education for health professionals, the Doctor of Whole Health Leadership at SCU offers a uniquely meaningful path forward. Our program goes beyond skill-building—it equips you to drive the cultural and structural changes needed across today’s healthcare systems. Whether your background is clinical, administrative, or educational, you’ll find a track that fits, and faculty who believe in your capacity to lead.

This is where passion meets impact. With expert mentors and a curriculum grounded in transformation, your next chapter is already waiting. Take a look at our admission requirements and apply today.

FAQs 

What makes the SCU Doctor of Whole Health Leadership program unique?

It’s the only doctoral program in the U.S. designed specifically to train Whole Health leaders—developed with the original architects of the VA’s Whole Health system. You’ll study under pioneers shaping the future of healthcare.

How long does the program take to complete?

The program spans nine terms (approximately 2.25 years), including online coursework, four in-person weekend intensives, and a capstone project focused on Whole Health systems change.

Who should pursue continuing education for health professionals in Whole Health leadership?

Clinicians, administrators, educators, and change-makers seeking to influence healthcare policy, delivery, and culture. It’s ideal for mid-to-late-career professionals looking to leave a legacy of impact.

How do the weekend intensives work?

These are in-person gatherings focused on personal development, mentorship, and immersive learning. They happen four times across the program and bring the online experience to life.