Instructor: Patrick Kukulich, MD, Hanna Ellingsen, MD, Rebecca Jaffe, MD, Lakshmi Ravindran, MD, Alexis Wickersham, MD, Alyssa Yeager, MD 

New-to-practice attendings (NTPAs) encounter a unique set of challenges as they transition into the responsibilities of independent clinical practice. While traditional models of support—such as advising and mentoring—remain important, coaching is emerging as a powerful, individualized approach to professional development in this critical early-career phase. 

This session will explore how coaching, grounded in goal setting and reflective practice, can help NTPAs navigate uncertainty, build confidence, and align their work with personal and professional values. Participants will learn how coaching differs from other developmental relationships, and how it leverages the coachee’s existing strengths through open-ended questioning, active listening, and guided reflection. Practical examples, coaching frameworks, and early outcomes will be shared to highlight the impact and scalability of coaching in academic medical settings. 

At the end of this session, participants should be able to: 

1. Explain the differences between coaching, mentoring, and advising and explain why coaching specifically may be useful for new to practice attendings.  

2. List several areas where new to practice attendings struggle and identify which of these areas may be the most amenable to coaching.  

3. Explain why the 5D Model of Appreciative Inquiry is a useful and advantageous model for developing a novel faculty coaching program.