A Coaching Resource You Can Use
The Coaching Office: Advancing Coaching in Healthcare and Medical Education (COACHME) was created at Stanford Medicine in 2021 to build capacity across Stanford to deliver quality coaching in medical education and to advance the field of coaching in medical education.
Coaching has been shown to enhance performance and motivation, as well as to mitigate burnout. Sarah R. Williams, MD, MHPE, PCC, BCC emergency medicine professor and COACHME program director, was inspired to create the program as her leadership project with the Stanford Medicine Leadership Academy. She completed a professional coach training program herself and extrapolated how physicians could benefit from similar training.
To date, five full courses and several customized offerings have been developed specifically for this purpose. More than 400 registrants from over 30 departments have participated. Trainees include department chairs, division chiefs, residency and fellowship directors, advisors, mentors, and others looking to incorporate coaching skills and approaches into their existing leadership, mentoring, and educational practices, as well as learn how to develop coaching programs within their programs. The COACHME courses are now available to faculty both within and outside Stanford. Learn more
The story below originally appeared in the Stanford Office of Faculty Development and Diversity September 2024 newsletter, excerpted here with permission.
Williams is a national leader in coaching and medical education. She also heads the Stanford Health Professions Education and Scholarship (SHAPES) Program, Stanford Teaching and Mentoring Academy’s medical education certificate program for Stanford faculty and trainees alike. This interdepartmental, intergenerational, and multidisciplinary program addresses foundational topics of importance for educators and is a great professional development program at all career stages. It is designed to be feasible despite busy clinical schedules.
The Stanford Department of Emergency Medicine (EM) recognizes the catalytic impact that mentoring and coaching can have over the entire career arc and has built an innovative infrastructure to support this mission. This is made possible by tremendous support at the departmental level, the residency, the clerkship, and the dedication of a small army of mentors and coaches.
Dr. Williams co-directs EM’s faculty mentorship program, heads the residency's GME coaching program, and supports the advanced clerkship coaching program. In addition, she represents the department as the Specialty Career Advisor for Emergency Medicine at the School of Medicine. Previously, Dr. Williams has worn all of the "hats" of residency leadership: Chief Resident, Assistant Program Director (APD), Associate PD, and Program Director. She was also the founding Ultrasound Fellowship Director. In addition to this real-world experience in education, she completed the ACEP Teaching Fellowship and received her Masters Degree in Health Professions Education (MHPE) from the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Dr. Sarah Williams offers advice for fellow physicians: "A career in medicine and medical education can be a long, fulfilling, amazing journey—as long as you don’t burn out. Our impact on patients, our learners, and on advancing health and science cannot be overstated. And yet it’s easy to lose sight of that with all the pressures we’re under. Taking a moment to come up for air every now and then to make sure you’re on the right path for you is critical. Doing this semi-regularly with a partner, be it a coach or a mentor, or a trusted colleague, will help keep you accountable so years don’t suddenly pass by."
"Give yourself permission to purposely re-invent yourself in small and big ways to keep yourself feeling fresh and excited. Get specific about what new skill or opportunity you want to explore or design. And take advantage of the tremendous opportunities right here at Stanford that can help support you in doing this, not only in their content but even more importantly in the amazing community you will find. It takes a village and it’s really fun being part of one with you all!"