Developing Professionalism in Healthcare Students: Impact of a Health Coaching Program

This study explored the impact of a curriculum-embedded health coaching program on student professionalism. We compared physical therapy students who participated in a coaching program (n=79) to a control group who did not (n=70). We analyzed differences between the two groups and examined the association of group to achievement of better performance ratings. We found differences between the groups in ratings on the variables that measured safety, communication, professional behavior, and accountability. We also found associations between group and the achievement of a rating of advanced intermediate or better for the same variables. These findings suggest that health coaching programs can promote professionalism and student self-efficacy early in their clinical training. Future research should investigate the program's impact on other relevant areas.