Jennifer Calzada

My path to Tulane University was neither direct nor logical. I started working life in advertising and moved multiple times as opportunities presented themselves, including the move to the media industry. The first in a new corporate director role soon followed, but life on the road got old. After 20 years around advertising, marketing, and business development, I made the leap to Tulane, to launch not just a new role, but as the leader of an entirely new department.

Day one was staring into an abyss of the physical space still being built, no staff, no policies or procedures, no strategic plan, and no existing education plans. Add to that I had never worked in healthcare or education, and I was even questioning myself. 

I bring this enthusiasm for the unknown and forging a new path to coaching. Often people who seek out coaching are approaching a transition or just made one. Regardless of your level of experience related to a role, these changes are uncomfortable for many people and establishing yourself as a confident leader can be challenging. That’s where I can help because that’s where I thrive. 

I was one of the original TULI Coaches who started in 2022. I have coached multiple Emerging Leaders cohort groups and have also coached individuals at Tulane. I have coached new Dean’s level leaders and frontline managers looking for their next move. What they all have in common is questions such as do I belong here or am I right for this role. Call it imposter syndrome or just a temporary lack of self-confidence, but we all feel it sometimes. 

A coach can help not just push past these moments, but gaze inward and learn from these moments. The goal isn’t just to move past and forget, but to learn from this and become a better leader now and stronger for the next transition. 

I have learned from my transition to Tulane and have risen to the top of the global healthcare simulation education field. I already had a Masters in Media from The New School (NY) and added a second with an MPH in Global Environmental Health (Tulane). I have multiple certifications, including, TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer, Certified Healthcare Simulation Education, and Certified in Design Thinking for Human Centered Healthcare. I have served in leadership positions in many healthcare education associations, including a term on the Board of Directors for the Society of Simulation in Healthcare, where I was also awarded a Presidential Citation in 2023. I am currently serving on the Simulation Committee for the global medical education association, AMEE. 

You can go from zero experience in a field to the top of the field, you just have to believe you can.