In 2021, the Department of Family and Community Medicine added a Coaching Program to our new faculty onboarding approach. Each new faculty is assigned a designated coach from among experienced faculty. Over the course of 6 months, 15 hours of dedicated coaching time is blocked set aside for 1:1 coaching sessions. There is a short list of topics that are expected to be covered during these sessions. Most of the time is unstructured so that the new faculty can set the agenda to cover topics they perceive they need help with. This program has proven very successful and popular with new faculty.
Career evolution and leadership development for physicians whose work is primarily clinical is a particular challenge for leaders. This is true across the entire career trajectory, but is particularly true for early and mid-career clinician-leaders. Without intentional guidance and support, many of these leaders will experiences professional dissatisfaction and even professional burnout. This "Innovation Showcase" will highlight a coach-based program in our department called the "Professional Fulfillment Process" designed to support these physicians and provide them a roadmap for the next stages of their careers.
