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Dr. Dan Shapiro      

Senior Partner & Executive Director at Chartis Center for Burnout Solutions; Author & Cancer Survivor

Dr. Dan Shapiro, Ph.D., has transitioned from his role as the Vice Dean for Faculty and Administrative Affairs at the Penn State College of Medicine to serve as the Executive Director of the Chartis Center for Burnout Solutions. He was previously also the Garner James Kline Professor of Humanities in Medicine (Tenured). In his current role, he dedicates his expertise to assisting leaders of multi-hospital systems in reducing burnout and turnover of high-value physicians, nurses, and other staff.

In his earlier role as Vice Dean at the Penn State College of Medicine, Shapiro demonstrated a long-standing interest in values-based leadership development and evaluation. He was responsible for disseminating values, department chair searches, department evaluations, and leadership coaching. He worked in academic leadership positions in medical schools between 2008 and 2023. His dedication to reducing burnout continued to be a focal point of his career, leading him to leave his Vice Dean and Professor role in 2023 to pursue burnout reduction full-time.

Shapiro earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Florida and continued his education at Harvard Medical School, where he completed an internship and an endowed postdoctoral fellowship. His writings about the patient experience, physician-patient relationships, and burnout have appeared or been featured in the New York Times, the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Academic Medicine. Moreover, he authored three books for Random House, including his memoir about physician burnout, "Delivering Doctor Amelia," published in 2003.

Beyond his written contributions, Shapiro also brings his expertise to a wider audience through speaking engagements. He has delivered over 350 keynotes at healthcare-related conferences. Furthermore, he has lent his knowledge to the entertainment industry, consulting for TV shows like "Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice," and "How to Get Away With Murder," and co-starring on-camera in three television series on National Geographic, A & E, and the Discovery Channel.

Through his consulting services and speaking engagements, Shapiro continues to provide valuable insight and practical solutions for health professional burnout reduction. His comprehensive approach, combining assessment and interventions, makes him a sought-after expert in his field.

Speech Topics


Purposeful, compassionate, accountability

Holding employees accountable can be challenging. Dr. Shapiro provides a structure for having critical conversations with the goal of bringing staff back to the organization’s central values.

And in Health: A Seriously Funny Look at Coping as Couple with Cancer

Using examples from his clinical experience and research from his book, Shapiro describes the traps some couples facing illness fall into, and methods for maintaining a thriving relationship. (45 minutes - 1 hour) talk includes slides.

A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to Chemotherapy

Ideal for health professionals or groups of patients, this talk has been described as laugh out loud funny and moving -- Akin to a one act play, the talk emphasize the importance of connecting to others and hope in the face of challenging regimen -- but these messages are imbedded in first person stories that appreciate the complexity of front line medicine. (30 minutes - 1 hour, depending on host preferences) no slides.

The Tinman Syndrome: Physician Burnout and Resilience

Ideal for health professionals, this interactive and engaging talk uses case studies, data, and personal planning to address front line burnout. (1 hour, uses slides and questionnaires)

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