Is a physcian career coach worth it?

[Mauruuru]

Does a physician career coach provide value enough to be worth it?  Any idea what one costs?

Do people get a coach if they feel a lack of purpose in their current job?  Then the coach perhaps matches your personality, family situation, life stage, etc. to either find a better job or be content where you are.

Or are coaches generally for burnout?

The concept is in theory interesting. But I would not want to pay anyone to tell me to be mindful, and to meditate and to go start a blog.

 

[Zaphod]

My cynical take would be its just someone to allow you to verbalize and organize all these thoughts and feelings, where in the end you realize for yourself what your best move is. So, probably can be done by yourself or with your spouse/family/good friend.

Otoh, if they have some sort of contacts, etc...maybe worth it, but doubtful.

[q-school]

we have three physicians who are full time career coaches internal to our system.

they underwent some formal training and certification.

my best guess is that they are used to help people who are having trouble fitting in to the local culture more than helping people design the career they want.

my cynical self is concerned its utilized for future planning in terms of knowing who is thinking about quitting/retiring.  or helping people make the decision that they would be happier elsewhere.

 

 

[Zaphod]

q-school wrote:

we have three physicians who are full time career coaches internal to our system.

they underwent some formal training and certification.

my best guess is that they are used to help people who are having trouble fitting in to the local culture more than helping people design the career they want.

my cynical self is concerned its utilized for future planning in terms of knowing who is thinking about quitting/retiring.  or helping people make the decision that they would be happier elsewhere.

 

 

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Good intuition and idea in a system setting.

[VagabondMD]

I have been using a coach for the last three years or so, one who specializes in career transitions, but has morphed into an overall career coach. She is a retired dermatologist who transitioned herself into a coaching career. We speak about once per month (10-12 times per year, whenever I want to schedule a call), she charges $275/hour, and the experience has been invaluable.

If anyone wants additional detail or a referral, PM me.

[TheHappyPhilosopher]

I have never worked formally with a coach, but I have had mentors that have nudged me in directions I needed to go. I spoke with a coach once for a half an hour informally after the fact and actually found it quite helpful. I think you will know relatively quickly if a coach can help, and honestly if I had to do it all over again I would have probably hired a coach when I was going through burnout. Paying a couple thousand dollars to get out of a funk 6 months sooner would be totally worth it in my opinion. I have even thought about going into the physician coaching business, as I have first hand experience with what burnout feels like.

[MPMD]

Vagabond MD wrote:

I have been using a coach for the last three years or so, one who specializes in career transitions, but has morphed into an overall career coach. She is a retired dermatologist who transitioned herself into a coaching career. We speak about once per month (10-12 times per year, whenever I want to schedule a call), she charges $275/hour, and the experience has been invaluable.

If anyone wants additional detail or a referral, PM me.

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Guest post?

From the forums you seem like you really have your ************************ together, surprised that you would see real value in this.

[q-school]

Vagabond MD wrote:

I have been using a coach for the last three years or so, one who specializes in career transitions, but has morphed into an overall career coach. She is a retired dermatologist who transitioned herself into a coaching career. We speak about once per month (10-12 times per year, whenever I want to schedule a call), she charges $275/hour, and the experience has been invaluable.

If anyone wants additional detail or a referral, PM me.

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@275 an hour I would be willing to consider this as a career option.

holy crap.

I'm glad it's working out for you, but it may price out a lot of people who could benefit.

 

 

[hightower]

I think a good psychologist could accomplish the same thing and may be even better and probably a lot cheaper.  You can get your insurance to pay for the psychologist.  I'm sure that physician coaches borrow a lot of the same counseling techniques that psychologists use.

But, no matter who you go to, you need to do it with an open mind.  The more open you are, the more you'll get out of it. I only say that because you sound resistant already.

The things you describe wanting help with (personality, family situation, life stage, etc. to either find a better job or be content where you are.) are exactly the kind of things a good therapist can help with.  Also, a feeling of "lack of purpose" in your job is a sign of burnout. 

[TheHappyPhilosopher]

275/hr x 10 hours per year = $2750/yr. This really shouldn't price any physician (other than a resident) out of the market. If after 1 or 2 session the coach does not give you actionable steps which pay for themselves I would fire them and move on. I would also think that any coach worth anything would give a free initial consult to see if they are a good fit.

 

Think of it this way. If VBMD uses this coach for 10 years (around $30k), how many more months would he have to work at the end of his career to pay for it? A month or two maybe? The real value of a physician career coach is to make changes in your life that create happiness with your career and allow you to keep working. A good coach will see things in your life that we are blind to, because they have seen in in hundreds of other people they have coached.

 

Friends and mentors are great, but they will see things from a much narrower perspective (although they will still see some of your blind spots). Also when you are paying $275/hr you are much more likely to take action as the sunk cost of paying for a coach tends to spur people into action

[VagabondMD]

MPMD wrote:

Vagabond MD wrote:

I have been using a coach for the last three years or so, one who specializes in career transitions, but has morphed into an overall career coach. She is a retired dermatologist who transitioned herself into a coaching career. We speak about once per month (10-12 times per year, whenever I want to schedule a call), she charges $275/hour, and the experience has been invaluable.

If anyone wants additional detail or a referral, PM me.

Click to expand…

Guest post?

From the forums you seem like you really have your ************************ together, surprised that you would see real value in this.

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From her or from me (or both)?

Maybe because I know when I need help and how to get it, I can create the illusion that I have my act together (I was censored here last time I dropped the S-bomb and do not want to wind up in the penalty box).

TheHappyPhilosopher wrote:

I have never worked formally with a coach, but I have had mentors that have nudged me in directions I needed to go. I spoke with a coach once for a half an hour informally after the fact and actually found it quite helpful. I think you will know relatively quickly if a coach can help, and honestly if I had to do it all over again I would have probably hired a coach when I was going through burnout. Paying a couple thousand dollars to get out of a funk 6 months sooner would be totally worth it in my opinion. I have even thought about going into the physician coaching business, as I have first hand experience with what burnout feels like.

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No doubt that you could have benefited from the right coach, and no doubt that you could be (or become) an excellent burnout coach. In some ways, you already have.

TheHappyPhilosopher wrote:

275/hr x 10 hours per year = $2750/yr. This really shouldn’t price any physician (other than a resident) out of the market. If after 1 or 2 session the coach does not give you actionable steps which pay for themselves I would fire them and move on. I would also think that any coach worth anything would give a free initial consult to see if they are a good fit.

 

Think of it this way. If VBMD uses this coach for 10 years (around $30k), how many more months would he have to work at the end of his career to pay for it? A month or two maybe? The real value of a physician career coach is to make changes in your life that create happiness with your career and allow you to keep working. A good coach will see things in your life that we are blind to, because they have seen in in hundreds of other people they have coached.

 

Friends and mentors are great, but they will see things from a much narrower perspective (although they will still see some of your blind spots). Also when you are paying $275/hr you are much more likely to take action as the sunk cost of paying for a coach tends to spur people into action ????

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When I used the word “invaluable” to describe my experience, I chose it intentionally, to impart that in addition to the “psychic” benefit, I am seeing benefit in dollars and cents, too.

[q-school]

TheHappyPhilosopher wrote:

275/hr x 10 hours per year = $2750/yr. This really shouldn’t price any physician (other than a resident) out of the market. If after 1 or 2 session the coach does not give you actionable steps which pay for themselves I would fire them and move on. I would also think that any coach worth anything would give a free initial consult to see if they are a good fit.

 

Think of it this way. If VBMD uses this coach for 10 years (around $30k), how many more months would he have to work at the end of his career to pay for it? A month or two maybe? The real value of a physician career coach is to make changes in your life that create happiness with your career and allow you to keep working. A good coach will see things in your life that we are blind to, because they have seen in in hundreds of other people they have coached.

 

Friends and mentors are great, but they will see things from a much narrower perspective (although they will still see some of your blind spots). Also when you are paying $275/hr you are much more likely to take action as the sunk cost of paying for a coach tends to spur people into action

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it's not a question of affording it.  it's a lifestyle choice.

people here are worried about expense ratios of 3c vs 6c.  have a hard time believing they can find value in a $275/hour expense.



 

[Lithium]

I've thought about getting a coach, but I think most of these people are in it for the low barriers to entry (many can cite some accreditation by simply doing a weekend seminar, much like financial "advisors"), and I would have a difficult time respecting someone's advice when it looks like they took a shortcut to a lucrative career, considering all the work I've put in to get properly trained, board-certified, and practice according to the standard of care for several years.  I also think I'd need to have an in-person relationship for it to be worthwhile, but I'm not willing to go on dates with ten different coaches in order to find one capable of inspiring and motivating me to change my habits.  If I knew someone to see through word of mouth from colleagues, I'd probably give it a shot.

And don't expect insurance to pay for a psychologist unless they diagnose you with something in the DSM-5.  I wouldn't want to have to answer for that in licensing and credentialing applications.

[Hatton]

I had wondered what physician coaches were.  Now I know.  I might have wanted to use one 10 years ago but not now.  I have stumbled along over the finish line.  Do they coach  you for post-medicine i.e. what to do with yourself after you completely quit?

[The White Coat Investor]

Wow! Lots of negativity toward coaches. I don't have a coach, but it doesn't take much imagination for me to come up with a situation where I could benefit from one. I'd love to have a blogging/business coach and would gladly pay $275 an hour for someone who could really add value to my life and/or my business. The difficulty is knowing whether you're really having value added or not, but if things aren't working out, quit after a few sessions and you're only out a few thousand-chump change for an attending physician with his financial life in order.