Physicians as Coaches:
Improving Physician Well-being and Impact
Today the professional lives of physicians demand the highest-ever levels of internal resources and well-being to meet the growing challenges faced by patients, as well as healthcare practices and organizations.
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As a Physician Coach, you can become a new force for good - helping your patients, colleagues, and leaders tap into their deepest motivation, draw out their strengths, set their compass on their best selves, and shift their mindsets and behaviors to enable positive, lasting change.
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All the while, you will be transformed through your own self-coaching journey, rediscovering your deepest values and resources, and rising above the tide of burnout.
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Why become a Physician Coach?
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Improve your own well-being. Learning about, and applying, key coaching concepts like self-compassion, growth-mindset, and wellness visioning will inevitably have a positive impact on your own life.
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Increase patient satisfaction and engagement. Your patients will experience you as a more empathetic listener who delivers patient-centered care.
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Change the culture of your organization. Gain valuable skills for communicating with colleagues and building trusting, collaborative relationships.
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Enjoy your professional development and earn CMEs. Our Module, Core Coach Training is approved for 27.5 PCs.
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Where are our Physician Coaches?
Wellcoaches has trained and supported hundreds of physicians as coaches through Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins, Stanford University Hospital, Emory University Hospital, Beth Israel Hospital, and members of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine community.
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Curious about your own well-being?
Wellcoaches has developed a validated inventory to support you in reflecting upon your own well-being in the areas of life, work, body, and mind. Take the Inventory or share it with a patient!
Key Resources on Physician Coaching
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The American Medical Association's Coaching in Medical Education (contributions by Wellcoaches CEO, Margaret Moore)
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Foundations in Lifestyle Medicine Board Review Course (contributions by Wellcoaches Chief Coaching Officer, Erika Jackson)
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Two Randomized Controlled studies of Wellcoaches coaching for physician burnout show robust efficacy
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Coaching for primary care physician well-being: A randomized trial and follow-up analysis. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2020
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Physician Coaching by Professionally Trained Peers for Burnout and Well-Being
A Randomized Clinical Trial, JAMA, 2024
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AAFP Lifestyle Medicine Course (coaching content developed by Chief Coaching Officer, Erika Jackson and presented by Faculty Member, Charles Inniss)
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Mayo Clinic Proceeding study defining physician coaching competencies (contributions by Wellcoaches CEO, Margaret Moore)
​MEDIA
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A Story of Coaching and Collaboration at Beth Israel Hospital
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Unlocking Your Full Potential Through Coaching, Emory University podcast​
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Organize Your Mind for the Operating Room, Keynote for the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons
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Organize Your Mind to Thrive, Massachusetts Medical Society
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​EVIDENCE
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Physician coaching by professionally trained peers for burnout and well-being
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Coaching for primary care physician well-being: A randomized trial and follow-up analysis
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Primary Care–Based Health Coaching Intervention for Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Adults: A 2-Year Experience
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A pilot study of health and wellness coaching for fibromyalgia
What Physicians Say
Peter Grinspoon, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital, Instructor, Harvard Medical School
I thought that Wellcoaches provided a thorough, comprehensive and - most of all - inspiring training on all aspects of health and wellness coaching. It fostered both personal and professional growth. It left myself and my physician colleagues with the skills and confidence to jump right into the complicated world of helping physicians (and everyone else) navigate their distress, and enabled us to help others find the solutions they need to fulfill their dreams. I would gladly recommend Wellcoaches to anyone who asks.
Kerri Palamara McGrath, MD
Director of Physician Well-being,
Massachusetts General Hospital
Collaborating with Wellcoaches has transformed our institutional approach to supporting physician well-beng. The physicians who underwent training and certification are newly empowered to walk this journey toward meaning, purpose and engagement with colleagues and with themselves. They are well prepared to work 1:1 with their colleagues and engage in group coaching, which has been invaluable for improving system-level issues within the institutions.