Dr. Jess Bunin says women physicians should recognize the leadership they already have

Physician and leadership coach Dr. Jess Bunin is urging women in medicine to stop waiting to become leaders and instead recognize the influence they already bring to healthcare. Her new book argues that self-awareness, trust and communication matter more than titles for women physicians who want to lead effectively.

Why it matters: - Bunin is challenging a common career narrative in medicine: that women physicians must first earn leadership before they can be seen as leaders. - Her message lands in a field where women make up at least 40% of U.S. medical students but hold only 18% of hospital CEO roles and 16% of medical school dean and department chair roles, according to Harvard Business Review. - The core argument is practical, not symbolic. Bunin says leadership shape-shifts into influence, advocacy and decision-making long before a formal title arrives.

What happened: - Dr. Jess Bunin, a physician, author, speaker and leadership coach, used a Sept. 23, 2026 release from Los Angeles to promote her new book, Self-Awareness and Trust: Leading Healthcare Teams from the Inside Out. - Bunin argues that women physicians do not need to become leaders. They need to recognize that they already are leaders. - Bunin says women in medicine often see themselves as doctors and providers, but not always as influencers. - Bunin frames leadership as something rooted in internal and relational skills, not just titles or promotions.

The details: - The book focuses on self-awareness, trust and confidence as the core skills healthcare professionals need to lead themselves and others. - Bunin says leadership is not an inherent personality trait and influence is not reserved for a select few. - Bunin says clinical excellence builds credibility, but leading people requires additional skills. - Those skills include knowing when to speak, when to listen, how to address conflict, how to build trust and how to create space for others to contribute and succeed. - Bunin draws on more than two decades of experience in medicine, military service, critical care, psychiatry, medical education and leadership development. - Bunin’s background includes service as a West Point graduate and former Army physician. - Bunin served more than two decades in the military, including assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan. - Bunin has held leadership roles in healthcare and medical education. - Bunin now works with physicians and healthcare professionals on self-awareness, communication, trust and leadership. - More information is available on Jess Bunin's website.

Between the lines: - Bunin is pushing a reframing of leadership development. The message is less about adding skills from scratch and more about noticing and using existing influence more intentionally. - That framing may resonate in medicine, where formal hierarchy is strong but day-to-day leadership often happens through team dynamics, patient advocacy and peer influence. - The argument also points to a familiar gap in healthcare: representation at the trainee level does not translate automatically into senior leadership.

What's next: - Bunin is positioning her book as a guide for women physicians who want to lead with more confidence and self-awareness. - Her broader work will likely continue to focus on helping healthcare professionals strengthen communication, trust and leadership inside clinical teams. - The key question she leaves readers with is whether women physicians can claim leadership they already practice, rather than waiting for permission to do so.

The bottom line: - Bunin’s message is simple: women in medicine do not need to become leaders first. They need to recognize the leadership they already have and use it deliberately.