Five years ago, I was struggling with burnout and didn’t even recognize it. I was taking on more and more clinical work, and then my hospital offered me an opportunity to take a leadership program. I thought long and hard about whether I had the capacity for another commitment, but something about it piqued my interest, so I went for it. I never imagined it would be the catalyst to a new endeavour coaching other physicians.
My First Taste of Coaching
As part of the leadership program, I was offered monthly one-on-one sessions with a coach. I had the idea that she would talk with me like a mentor, so I was skeptical. Instead, she challenged me to reframe my thinking, help me zero in on aligning my values and work, broaden my perspective and more.
As I was working through my burnout with my coach, she helped me reframe situations. If I questioned my experience or abilities, she’d say, “Is it the voice in your head, or is it someone else saying this to you?” It was a real aha moment.
Through coaching, I gained the ability to see situations from different perspectives, and my listening and communication skills have grown immeasurably. The work we did together also helped me shape my career to suit my interests, values and goals so that I could feel fulfilled once again. It’s not an exaggeration when I say nothing has changed my professional life more than coaching.
By the time the leadership program was wrapping up in July 2018, I’d had a real revelation: Coaching isn’t just for business and administrative leaders, it’s a valuable tool to help physicians find career clarity and fulfillment — and I wanted to help other physicians by becoming a coach myself.
Training to Become a Physician Coach
Coaches can have a huge impact on their clients’ lives, so we have a responsibility to be properly trained to provide knowledgeable, effective guidance.
Before I took the leap and signed up for training, I approached my senior leadership at McMaster University about the prospect of becoming a physician coach. They agreed to provide funding to partially cover my course fees in exchange for 30 hours of pro bono coaching for McMaster physicians following my training.
I began my coaching training with the Co-Active Training Institute to learn the fundamentals before moving on to specialized training with the Physician Coaching Institute. I completed PCI’s Certified Physician Development Coach program, which provides training geared to the issues impacting health care workers, including career fulfillment, burnout prevention, resilience, leadership and effective communication. Both programs are highly regarded and accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Within about a week of offering three hours of coaching for 10 physicians at McMaster, all the spots were booked up. A few of these physicians wanted to continue with coaching and signed up for my program. Since then, I’ve worked with 40 physicians to find balance and fulfillment in their work and life.
Why Do I Coach Physicians Exclusively?
I want to help other physicians make the most of their career and life, so they can be as fulfilled in their career as I am today.
Practicing medicine is often viewed as a lifelong vocation. We’ll stay on top of developments in our specialty, and we may advance into leadership roles, such as heading up a department, shifting into administration or teaching. But we don’t tend to consider unconventional possibilities, even though it’s complementary to our medical practice to have other professional interests.
I’m also dedicated to working with physicians because it’s important for physicians to have a coach who understands where they’re coming from. Doctors work long hours, can be on call for days at a time and have immense responsibility. We can’t always prioritize coaching, and there’s a lot we can’t change in health care. That said, there’s plenty we can change, and as a physician and coach, I can help you reevaluate, consider new perspectives, get unstuck and work through burnout — in short, unlock possibilities.
Like most physicians, I’ve always been driven by a strong desire to help people — and as a coach, I’m actually helping more patients by empowering physicians. If you can be open-minded, comfortable with discomfort, and have the humility to know that there’s always room for improvement, I can help you find your way back to fulfillment.