Re-centering education on the learner: insights from a Pediatric Residency Coaching Program

Coaching has emerged as a key educational strategy to promote learner success in competency-based medical education (CBME). Effectively operationalizing coaching requires ongoing exploration, with particular attention to its perceived benefits within the context of existing supports in residency training.

A descriptive qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with pediatric residents and faculty coaches enrolled in a longitudinal coaching program. Eleven interviews explored participants' experiences, perceived benefits, and challenges of coaching. A thematic analysis included open coding followed by more focused coding, which informed the generation of themes.

Four themes were identified. Overall, participants emphasized the value of coaching as an opportunity to refocus the education journey on the learner and foster individualized goal setting. Faculty shared the importance of a community of practice to provide space for reflection and to help mitigate doubt about their coaching effectiveness. Participants distinguished coaching and mentorship based on their structure and process rather than content covered, reinforcing the need for both supports. While benefits of coaching programs were recognized, words of caution were also shared.

Longitudinal coaching offers a means of re-centering the education journey on the learner. For programs seeking to adopt or refine coaching models in CBME, success will depend on fostering flexibility, supporting faculty through communities of practice, and maintaining learner-centered relationships grounded in reflection and growth.