• Are there aspects of your medical practice that take the joy out of being a doctor for you?
• Do you wonder why you spent all those years in training when the practice of medicine is so different from your expectations?
• Is it difficult to balance your demanding career with having an enjoyable and close family life?
• Or are there particular issues in your professional or personal life that you would like to change, but your efforts haven’t succeeded?
WHY SHOULD I WORK WITH A PHYSICIAN COACH? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, physician coaching may be an effective (and fun) solution for you. As your coach, I can help you rediscover the joy of being a physician by finding strategies to minimize the impact of those unpleasant features of the modern practice of medicine and reconnect to those aspects that make you love being a doctor. Together, we’ll explore perspectives on your challenging situations so you’ll see exactly what you need to do to change them. You’ll realize how to honor your need to provide consistently excellent care to your patients and still have the satisfying personal relationships that you desire. You’ll discover what your true aspirations in life are, uncover those dreams you packed away in drawers labeled, “impractical” or “unattainable,” and plan and execute the steps to create and live the life that will reflect who you are – a life that will be truly fulfilling.
WHAT IS A COACH? A coach has been described as a “thought partner.” The International Coach Federation describes a coach as “someone who partners with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” Although at times a coach may feel like a friend, a mentor or a consultant, my only agenda is to support you in fully being who you are and living the life you want. I will gently but firmly hold you accountable to the goals that you have set for yourself. You will learn what is truly important to you, discover your vision of a more satisfying life, and move the obstacles that stand in your way as you take the steps toward that life. A practicing physician and Assistant Professor at UCSD School of Medicine, I was drawn to physician coaching because I want to support physicians who are struggling with the many changes in healthcare and help them love being a doctor again. I received my training at the Coaches Training Institute, and hold the Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) credential from the Coaches Training Institute, the Certified Physician Development Coach credential from the Physician Coaching Institute, and the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential from the International Coach Federation.
WHY WORK WITH ME? Many of my clients have found that working with a physician coach who is a doctor made the experience even more effective. I truly understand the rigorous training doctors go through to get where we are, the pressures we are under in our current healthcare climate, and the insidious but limiting ways that our training has guided us to think about our options. Breaking out of that limiting box and discovering new possibilities is where the fun and excitement of coaching begins! My foundational belief is that we each have the right to live our life the way we want to, and to be the person we are. As you excavate the many layers of “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” that have obscured who you really are, I will hold the space for you, with honesty and compassion, to discover your true desires and aspirations and to find the excitement that awaits.
HOW DOES COACHING WORK? Coaching is generally done over the phone or on a video platform and involves a 60-90 minute call weekly or twice a month. Most people experience relief as they take an honest look at their life – what they like, what they don’t – and exhilaration as they take control and begin to create the life they want.
Doctors Coaching Doctors - Helane Fronek, MD Coaching and Consulting 