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 Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine hope to achieve with a program called Academic Medicine Coaching.
The program is seeking faculty volunteers – both clinical and nonclinical – to join its third cohort of coaches and be trained over a six-month period from February to May.
“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 in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Whiddon 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.
Earlier this year, 18 faculty members completed training to become academic medicine coaches. They attended seminars and two-hour sessions for six months to become versed in coaching methods, and they received 24 continuing medical education credits.
“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 Whiddon 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.
