A Model Curriculum For New Faculty Coaches in Undergraduate Medical Education

Abstract

Objectives: Coaching is an interactive process of performance improvement accomplished by fostering a coachee's ability to critically self-evaluate, create goals, and develop a plan for action. It is being increasingly used in medical education, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The American Medical Association (AMA) recommends robust faculty development for any coaching program. Our institution created a mandatory coaching program for students starting in August 2022 with 22 faculty coaches.

Methods: We used Kern's 6-step model for curriculum development to create our institution's faculty development for coaches. This manuscript describes the process of development, implementation, and early program evaluation for the curriculum for faculty coaches for the first 4 months of our mandatory coaching program. The objectives and teaching strategies are outlined. Our program evaluation consisted of immediate and follow-up surveys of faculty attendees.

Results: Content in the faculty development program describing the medical student curriculum, assessment, and student resources improved faculty perceived knowledge and confidence. Specific training in coaching skills, including a simulation using standardized students was used and found to be essential. We offer lessons learned from our coaches regarding timing and content for any faculty development curriculum for new coaches.

Conclusions: Considerations for future faculty development curricula for academic coaching programs include timing of the faculty development, content consideration after three coaching sessions, and potential content additions and deletions. The curriculum outlined can be taken and immediately adapted for any school of medicine embarking on a coaching program for students.

Keywords: Coaching; curriculum; faculty development.

Figure 1.

Pre- and post-self-assessment of familiarity with career advising, N=18.

Figure 2.

Pre- and post-assessment of confidence explicitly discussing professional identity formation. N=12.

Figure 3.

Pre- and post-assessment of familiarity with the School of Medicine curriculum. N=18.