Should Your Institution Pay for Your Coach?
Making the Case for Employer-Sponsored Coaching in Medicine
If you have been thinking about working with a coach but wondering who pays for physician coaching, here is my advice: ask your institution first. Many faculty never do, and that is a missed opportunity. Employer-sponsored coaching in medicine is more common than you might expect, and the conversation is often easier than people fear.
Why Institutions Should Want to Pay
This is not charity. An institution paying for coaching for a physician is making a strategic investment. Faculty turnover in academic medicine is extraordinarily expensive -- a 2022 study published in JAMA Network Open estimated replacement costs for a single physician at two to three times their annual salary when you factor in recruitment, onboarding, and lost clinical revenue.
Coaching addresses the upstream problems that drive turnover: burnout, role confusion, leadership gaps, and stalled career development. When your institution funds coaching, they are buying retention and performance. Frame it that way when you make the ask.
How to Frame the Request
Think of this like a quarterback calling an audible. You need to read the defense -- understand what your institution values -- and adjust your approach accordingly. Here is a simple framework:
Connect coaching to a specific institutional goal. "I want to develop my leadership skills as I prepare for the residency director role" is far more compelling than "I think coaching would be helpful." Tie the request to something your chair or dean already cares about -- succession planning, faculty retention, or program growth.
Bring a number. A coaching engagement typically costs a fraction of a single faculty recruitment. Presenting even a rough cost comparison shows you have thought this through and respect the budget conversation.
Start with your faculty development office. Many institutions have professional development funds that go unspent every year. Your faculty affairs team can tell you quickly whether coaching qualifies. If it does, the approval process is often straightforward.
When to Invest on Your Own
There are situations where paying out of pocket makes more sense -- particularly if your coaching goals are deeply personal or if you are exploring whether to stay at your current institution. But even then, it is worth checking whether institutional funds are available first. You can always decide the independence matters more.
It Benefits Both Sides
The best coaching arrangements are ones where the institution sees a return and the faculty member gets genuine support. That alignment is not hard to find. Most of the time, what helps you grow also helps your department thrive.
If you are ready to explore what coaching could look like, check out our individual coaching options.
