A scalable peer coach training program to support well-being in scientists and physicians

Introduction: Professional coaching has emerged as an effective strategy to support well-being and engagement among faculty in academic medicine. However, most programs focus solely on physicians and rely on outsourced coaches or costly certifications, limiting scalability. To address these gaps, we developed a low-cost, internally delivered peer coach certification program inclusive of both physicians and scientists and evaluated its feasibility and effectiveness. Materials and methods: We designed a 32-h program consisting of four monthly 4-h interactive sessions and 16 h of experiential practice, and evaluated it using pre/post surveys to assess coaching knowledge, attitudes, and confidence. Based on a matched pre/post sample, within-subject t-tests compared outcomes before and after training. Results: During the study period, a total of 73 faculty members from 20 departments were trained. All 73 completed the pre survey, 44 completed the post. The 39 that completed both, and which we were able to match using the unique identifiers provided by survey respondents, were included in the analysis. Results demonstrated significant improvements in comfort with key coaching skills (p < 0.05). Knowledge scores increased significantly for content of two of three sessions assessed. Participants reported greater understanding of peer coaching benefits and increased enjoyment of the coaching role. Conclusions: Evaluation of a locally developed peer coaching training program for physicians and scientists suggests participation is associated with improved coaching knowledge, attitudes and confidence. Limitations of the study concern the potential for self-selection, social desirability, and attrition bias, the absence of a control group, and generalizability given its single-institution nature. This program may provide a useful roadmap for institutions interested in developing inclusive faculty peer coaching initiatives focused on well-being.