Understanding Challenges Faced by Female Graduate Medical Education Trainees: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Physician Coaching Requests.

Abstract

Background: Physician burnout, particularly among female graduate medical education (GME) trainees, is a growing concern that affects physician wellness and patient safety. Professional coaching has shown promise in improving physician wellness. The Better Together Physician Coaching program (BT) is a web-based, group-coaching program, piloted using female GME trainees, aimed at improving key indicators of well-being, including burnout and impostor syndrome. In this qualitative study, we aimed to understand the challenges faced by female physician trainees shared in the pilot of the BT coaching intervention.

Methods: A total of 101 female physician trainees participated in the BT pilot. A sample of 41 of the 80 group coaching calls and all 21 written coaching requests were included in this study. A qualitative content analysis was conducted of 132 coaching instances, using a team-based, deductive and inductive, rapid domain analysis strategy.

Results: Deductive analysis of 132 coaching instances confirmed burnout, impostor syndrome, self-compassion, and moral injury as key areas for which female physician trainees sought coaching. Inductive analysis also identified additional areas for which trainees sought coaching, including career uncertainty, feedback navigation, and relationship stress.

Conclusion: The preliminary findings highlight the importance of addressing these specific challenges and tailoring coaching interventions to meet the needs of female physician trainees.