P1.086: Evaluating the Impact of Coaching on Personal Wellness and Professional Growth Among Pediatric Surgeons: A Survey-Based Study

Background: Coaching is a valuable tool to support physician well-being, utilize goal-directed professional development, promote engagement, and reduce burnout. The American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) Coaching Program is a structured program instituted in 2020, designed to offer these benefits to pediatric surgeons and trainees. Since inception, almost 200 pediatric surgeons and trainees have participated in the APSA coaching program. This study aims to evaluate the experiences and perceived impact of coaching among APSA members.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to all APSA members. Participation in the APSA coaching program was not a criterion to survey inclusion. The survey collected professional roles, prior coaching experience, and perceived outcomes related to coaching participation. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify trends in coaching exposure, duration, and its perceived benefits in wellness, leadership, and career development.

Results: 81 pediatric surgeons and fellows participated in the study. The majority were practicing surgeons (82.2%), residents/fellows accounted for 10.1% of participants. Of the participants, 30.4% had participated in the APSA coaching program, 30.4% had a coach at some point, 6.3% were certified coaches and 29.1% had no coaching experience. Among those with coaching experience, the majority agreed coaching improved work-life balance (64.2%), personal wellness (66%), leadership skills (65.4%), educator skills (60.4%) and professional development (71.7%). 29.4% perceived that coaching helped them attain leadership positions (Table 1).

Conclusion: Coaching is broadly perceived as a positive influence among survey respondents within the pediatric surgery community, with reported benefits in wellness, leadership development, and overall professional growth. While coaching was not uniformly linked to leadership advancement, more than a quarter of respondents found that coaching helped them reach leadership positions, thus, supporting the value of coaching in promoting professional development skills which may support leadership advancement over time in pediatric surgeons and trainees.