So far, in the current blog series, I have explained why I have changed my mind about resident progress and evaluation transparency. I have also offered a series of questions programs can utilize to improve the gaps (as I see them) that may exist. Today I want to provide a reminder of why it matters – which boils primarily down to psychological safety.

Psychological safety is a concept that gets more attention than it once did, and rightly so. A psychologically safe environment...

Last week, I gave a few personal case studies on what led me to change my mind about full transparency regarding resident progress. The perspective-taking outcome from that has given me a new lens and a different way of viewing this difficult topic.  This week, I want to unpack it a little more.

The ACGME mandates programs to have a Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) with at least three members, one of which is a core faculty member. They are tasked with reviewing each resident...

I do like a good milestone. So, while I may or may not make any resolutions for the New Year, I think it’s important to pause, reflect, and refine. This year I used Sahil Bloom’s annual review. The first question was, “What did you change your mind about this year?”

At first glance, I wondered, “Did I actually change my mind about anything?” But, just like anytime we give our brains space to answer and reject the initial “I don’t...

I was so grateful to chat with Dr. Megan Melo about coaching in academic family medicine. Listen here.

This week we are concluding the coaching vs. mentoring blog series in academic medicine. So far, I've offered the impetus for this series and my reflections on it, the difference between coaching and mentoring, strictly speaking, and the approach for core faculty, as I see it. Now, I'm coming full circle to mentoring and coaching related to residents, fellows, and external coaches. 

I am often the first professional coach with whom a resident has ever worked. Many...

We are in a series of blogs looking further into coaching and mentoring and how they differ. This week is intended for core faculty bringing a more intentional coaching approach to your trainees (and colleagues) - Thank You!

If we knew nothing more than that leading companies in the corporate world have invested heavily in coaching for their C-suite over decades, we would know enough to realize the importance of bringing it into the medical field, another high-stakes profession....

Last week, I walked through personal reflections about mentoring vs. coaching from the perspective of a former core faculty member and current coach in academics. This week, I want to take a stab at explaining the difference and the overlap.

As Faculty. First, let’s think through the five primary ways we relate to trainees. Dr. Tony Tsai, with the University of Utah Health, Utah Advancement Coaching Network does a great job delineating four key relationships in this graphic...

I’ve been thinking about writing on this topic for a while now. However, it wasn’t until a strategy coaching call (the initial exploratory call prospective clients have with me) that I found the urgency to sort through my own thoughts and offer clarity to myself and hopefully to others. During the call with a trainee, she said something that I couldn’t shake. She began the call near tears with, “I told my partner that I guess I’m going to have to pay to get a...

Retreating – the act of withdrawing from the battle- can be a tactical move to recover, rest, renew and revise strategies. I love the parallel between the military term and our professional careers and even personal lives.  

You can have daily mini-retreats - time to yourself or with connections that are rejuvenating. Creating time and space to routinely reflect on what is swirling in our brains, sort through and prioritize our activities, gain perspective, feed our minds...