While long used in the business world, and more recently in physician circles, coaching is relatively new to the medical trainee world. An academic coach is a person assigned to facilitate learners achieving their fullest potential.
Coaches evaluate the performance of medical students via review of objective assessments, assisting the student to identify needs and create a plan to achieve these, and helping the student be accountable. Coaches help students improve their own self-monitoring, while fostering the idea that coaching will benefit them throughout their medical careers.
As literature starts to emerge on the coaching practices that lead to the best outcomes for learners, “Coaching in Medical Education: A Faculty Handbook,” offers necessary guidance to navigate this new area.