“I Feel Like a Better Person”: An Investigation of Meaningful Coaching Outcomes for Emergency Medicine Faculty

Although coaching has many benefits, it is not widely adopted in medicine. One barrier is the difficulty in assessing its value. Several studies show improvements in areas like self-reflection, teaching effectiveness, and career planning. While these outcomes are significant, they are challenging to quantify for relevant stakeholders. To date, no one has determined which coaching outcomes genuinely matter to various stakeholders. Our primary goal was to identify meaningful coaching outcomes from EM faculty who have received coaching. Ideally, this information will enhance our understanding of how to assess the value of coaching interventions.

This qualitative study involved EM faculty who received coaching. Participants were recruited via email. Data consisted of 30-minute, semi-structured remote interviews using Zoom (San Jose, CA). Interviews were transcribed using Zoom's software and verified by the research team. Transcripts were analyzed with Dedoose (SocioCultural Research Consultants, LLC) for coding. Thematic saturation was achieved by transcript 9 and remained stable through transcript 11.

Eleven participants were interviewed: 7 identified as female and 4 as male. Participants ranged from new to senior faculty. Four themes emerged from the study: (1) uncertainty about the definition of coaching, (2) tangible triggers and uncertain outcomes, (3) coaching requires up-front investment but meaningful outcomes may take time, and (4) coaching leads to perceived gains among those who have been coached. Participants described coaching as requiring significant effort but leading to meaningful gains, often grounded in metacognitive skills: improved reflective ability, emotional regulation, awareness of behaviors and their impact on others, greater self-compassion, and strengthened confidence. These gains required considerable early investment, suggesting a relationship between effort and outcomes. Nearly every participant noted that coaching significantly influenced their personal or professional lives.

By identifying themes related to coaching, this study lays the groundwork for future program design and institutional investment in faculty coaching. It also provides guidance for future research aiming to measure coaching efficacy in a more structured, outcome-driven manner.