Does Physician Coaching Actually Work?
The question behind “Is coaching a scam?” is usually simpler: Does this actually work?
Physicians are right to ask. We’re trained to look for outcomes, not promises.
Coaching isn’t magic. It’s not a workaround for broken systems.
It doesn’t erase the realities of modern medicine but it does change something that matters: your internal capacity to meet your life with more steadiness, clarity, and choice.
What the evidence suggests
In the last several years, physician coaching has been studied in randomized trials. Across studies, coaching has been associated with reductions in burnout and emotional exhaustion and improvements in well-being, resilience, and professional fulfillment.
That doesn’t mean coaching is the only answer. It does mean it’s not fluff.
If you’re a physician who has tried vacations, exercise, and “better boundaries” and still feels chronically underwater, it’s reasonable to consider an intervention that targets the drivers beneath the surface: physiology under stress, perfectionism, over-responsibility, and the thought patterns that keep your system in high alert.
What I’ve seen in practice
Over the past six years, I’ve coached more than a thousand physicians—1:1, in small groups, and at retreats.
Coaching consistently helps physicians:
regain a sense of choice when life has narrowed into survival mode
communicate more clearly—at work and at home
feel steadier under pressure without lowering standards
make decisions that are aligned instead of purely reactive
rebuild connection with themselves and the people they love
Sometimes the shift is dramatic. More often it’s quieter: less bracing, less dread, fewer spirals, more steadiness.
And yes—sometimes it saves careers. Sometimes it saves relationships. Sometimes it changes the trajectory of someone’s health.
The ROI question physicians don’t ask enough
Coaching is an investment.
So is staying stuck.
So is functioning on fumes for years.
So is losing your marriage to chronic depletion.
So is leaving a profession you once loved because you couldn’t find steadiness inside it anymore.
We rarely question the cost of conferences, certifications, board review courses, or clinical tools. But when it comes to investing in our own capacity to stay present in high-stakes lives, hesitation is common.
Some physicians can use CME funds. Some can’t. Many have paid out of pocket because they recognized something important: you can’t white-knuckle your way into sustainability.
What coaching can and can’t promise
Coaching can’t promise that your workplace will change.
It can’t promise that you’ll never feel stress.
It can’t promise constant happiness.
But it can help you build skills that change your day-to-day experience of medicine—because you become more resourced on the inside.
If you’re exhausted and wary, that’s not a problem. It’s where many physicians start.
This is the kind of work we do in coaching—evidence-informed, practical, and designed for real life.
Nothing shared in this blog is medical advice.