Wanted: Faculty members interested in academic coaching

On the athletics field, coaching can involve watching an athlete perform, establishing practice routines and providing feedback.

In medical school, coaching is more of a series of conversations designed to help a future physician reach his or her full potential. That’s what leaders and educators at the USA College of Medicine hope to achieve with a new program called Academic Medicine Coaching.

“The goal is to develop medical students into self-directed learners,” said Binata Mukherjee, M.D., M.B.A., assistant dean of faculty and professional development and associate professor of internal medicine at the USA College of Medicine. “This is important, because as science continues to advance, new generations of physicians will need these skills to adapt successfully.”

Academic medicine coaching differs from advising in that coaching is a co-creative process, while advising typically has a specific goal and specific steps built in.

“Coaching helps students find their inner motivation and, from there, recognize their goals and build a strategy to reach those goals,” said Renee Roca, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at the USA College of Medicine. “When the answers come from the students, they become more impactful and more powerful.”

Roca was among 18 faculty members who recently completed training to become academic medicine coaches in the new program. The group participated in seminars and two-hour sessions for six months to become versed in coaching methods. They also received 24 continuing medical education credits.

The program, however, needs more faculty volunteers – both clinical and nonclinical – to be trained in academic coaching before it can be launched.

“To any of my colleagues, the strongest argument for learning about coaching is that it will be one of the most efficient ways for you to succeed at something you’re here to do already,” said Franklin Trimm, M.D., associate dean for diversity and inclusion at the USA College of Medicine and USA assistant vice president for medical affairs. “Learning a new way to help other people succeed was why I wanted to get into this.” 

To sign up to become a coach, please complete this survey. For more information, contact Mukherjee at bmukherjee@southalabama.edu.