Coaching for Clinicians

Medice Cura Te Ipsum – Physician Heal Thyself
Ancient proverb 6th century BC

Over many years, I have witnessed colleagues at all career stages struggling to make sense of the next career move or personal challenge while simultaneously delivering high volume service provision, achieving training goals, consolidating academic career progression or stepping into management and leadership responsibilities. I have also witnessed how difficult it is to recognise when our personal wellbeing and career development need to be prioritised. After all we are doctors, aren’t we? Medice cura te ipsum: physician heal thyself!

Headspace for wise decision making in the cauldron of medical career activity is almost non-existent. We all recognise that we often work in pressured clinical environments where deadlines are vital for patients’ welfare, but we do little to counter this with career and personal support measures. We don’t even set an expectation that career development infrastructure support should be hard wired into our NHS practice.

Taking time for ourselves and our career development can help restore our personal and professional autonomy which are key to well-being. The focus we can give to ourselves at key moments of challenge and transition, feels all the more precious when we commit to making the space in our professional and personal lives, despite the pressure we feel to stay on life’s hamster wheel!  Coaching helps us to step off the wheel and into this space.

Here, are some of the situations regardless of career stage, when looking outside of your normal hospital and academic networks for coaching support can benefit you.