Coaching is Preventive Care for a Healthy and Well Career in Medicine

Editor’s Note (February 2026): This post was updated with a few new reflections and current links.

Coaching is a valuable tool for physicians at all levels to help them navigate burnout, stress, and the emotional weight of modern medicine.

I think of it as preventive care—support that helps create a healthy and “well” career in medicine, before things fall apart.

Why coaching matters early

Coaching is especially valuable at the launch of a career in medicine.

It can change the entire trajectory for the better.

I wish I had had access to it much earlier in my own life and career.

Based on the success of my program coaching anesthesia fellows at Stanford, I was recently hired to begin coaching female cardiology fellows at another academic institution.

That matters to me—not just because it’s meaningful work, but because it’s a signal that this kind of support is needed, wanted, and effective.

What fellows say coaching provides

“It is so valuable to have someone outside my field (but also a physician) provide alternative neutral viewpoints.”

“It helped me grow self-confidence, self-compassion, and better understand my environment.”

“It provides helpful approaches to ensure that I am growing and positively embracing challenges, as well as ensuring reframes on maladaptive thoughts that are negatively influencing my experiences.”

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we all had access to support like this?

Healthcare would be a better experience for everyone.

Want support—individual or for your program?

If you want help to:

• grow self-confidence and self-compassion

• positively embrace challenges

• reduce burnout risk and stress reactivity

• better understand and navigate your environment

reach out.

And if you want to offer a program like this for your team, it’s possible.