The Impact of Coaching on Burnout and Physician Well-Being in Academic Otolaryngology: A Pilot Study

To evaluate the influence of a structured coaching intervention on well-being for academic otolaryngologists.

In this pre-/post-intervention study, eight academic otolaryngologists participated in a coaching program that included: one 3-h, in-person foundational workshop on values-based leadership, a 360° assessment, and three virtual, 1-h, individual coaching sessions with a professional coach over a 9-month period. Surveys were completed by seven participants, which included the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI), Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF), Secure Flourish Index (SFI), and Young Impostor Syndrome (YIS) Scale. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare ordinal measures and McNemar's test for dichotomous measures pre- and post-coaching.

Coaching topics varied based on the individual. Professional advancement and building leadership skills were discussed by six (75%) and five (63%) participants, respectively. Self-compassion (SCS-SF), work exhaustion (PFI), and interpersonal disengagement (PFI) significantly improved following the coaching intervention (Wilcoxon signed-rank test; p = 0.016, 0.047, and 0.031, respectively). While professional fulfillment (PFI) and flourishing (SFI) scores demonstrated an overall improvement after coaching, these changes were not statistically significant. Total YIS scores significantly decreased following the intervention (p = 0.031), with the proportion of participants screening positive for impostor phenomenon (IP) decreasing from 71% to 43%.

Professional coaching was associated with improved self-compassion and decreased work exhaustion, interpersonal disengagement, and impostor feelings in this pilot cohort of academic otolaryngologists. These findings support the feasibility and potential value of structured coaching programs in promoting clinician wellness and highlight the need for larger, controlled studies to evaluate long-term impact for academic otolaryngologists.

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