top of page

BackTable / OBGYN / Podcast / Episode #10

What is a Surgical Coach, and Why Do I Need One?

with Dr. Cara King

In this episode, Dr. Cara King, the Fellowship Director for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic and a member of the Board of Directors of the Academy for Surgical Coaching, discusses the topic of surgical coaching and its benefits for physicians, trainees, and learners.

Be part of the conversation. Put your sponsored messaging on this episode. Learn how.

What is a Surgical Coach, and Why Do I Need One? with Dr. Cara King on the BackTable OBGYN Podcast)
Ep 10 What is a Surgical Coach, and Why Do I Need One? with Dr. Cara King
00:00 / 01:04

BackTable, LLC (Producer). (2022, December 29). Ep. 10 – What is a Surgical Coach, and Why Do I Need One? [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.backtable.com

Stay Up To Date

Follow:

Subscribe:

Sign Up:

Podcast Contributors

Dr. Cara King discusses What is a Surgical Coach, and Why Do I Need One? on the BackTable 10 Podcast

Dr. Cara King

Dr. Cara King is the Fellowship Director for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic and a member of the Board of Directors of the Academy for Surgical Coaching.

Dr. Mark Hoffman discusses What is a Surgical Coach, and Why Do I Need One? on the BackTable 10 Podcast

Dr. Mark Hoffman

Dr. Mark Hoffman is a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon at the University of Kentucky.

Synopsis

Dr. King begins the episode by describing surgical coaching as an act of asking open-ended questions, determining where a “coachee” is currently at, identifying their goals, and then empowering them to make specific actions that are needed to close this gap. During the discussion, she emphasizes the importance of prioritizing self-assessment as a coach.

Dr. King then explains how to find a surgical coach through the Academy for Surgical Coaching. The process requires a “coachee” to complete a form that identifies their personal goals, and then the “coachee” is paired with a coach from the pool of physicians from various specialties. Coaching experiences are performed through various platforms (e.g., in-person, video-based, etc.) and are ideally conducted for 3-, 6-, or 12-month periods. Dr. King also covers how outcomes and metrics are evaluated, describing the differences between technical and non-technical (e.g., judgment) skills.

The doctors transition to emphasize the importance of incorporating coaching into a surgeon’s practice. Dr. King shares 2 methods to do so, including (1) replacing 1-hour of grand rounds or meetings with 1 hour of coaching sessions, as well as (2) integrating coaching at the level of national societies (e.g., American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists). The doctors go on to highlight also incorporating coaching at the level of medical schools and residency in order to instill the mentality of continual improvement early on in a physician’s career.

The episode ends with Dr. King sharing the steps to becoming a surgical coach through the Academy for Surgical Coaching, which includes a paid certification program.

Resources

Atul Gawande, “Personal Best”:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/03/personal-best

The Academy for Surgical Coaching:
https://surgicalcoaching.org

Greenberg CC, Byrnes ME, Engler TA, Quamme SPR, Thumma JR, Dimick JB. Association of a Statewide Surgical Coaching Program With Clinical Outcomes and Surgeon Perceptions. Ann Surg. 2021 Jun 1;273(6):1034-1039.

Disclaimer: The Materials available on BackTable.com are for informational and educational purposes only and are not a substitute for the professional judgment of a healthcare professional in diagnosing and treating patients. The opinions expressed by participants of the BackTable Podcast belong solely to the participants, and do not necessarily reflect the views of BackTable.

backtable-plus-vi-cta.jpg
Become a BackTable Sponsor

Up Next

Robotic Surgery in Pregnancy: Techniques & Challenges with Dr. Jamal Mourad on the BackTable OBGYN Podcast)
Transforming Peer Review: From Punitive to Productive with Dr. Margaret Mueller on the BackTable OBGYN Podcast)
Human Trafficking: Red Flags and Clinical Guidance with Dr. Julia Geynisman-Tan on the BackTable OBGYN Podcast)
Endometriosis Surgery: Techniques & Lessons Learned with Dr. Tomasso Falcone on the BackTable OBGYN Podcast)
Imaging Protocols to Guide Endometriosis Treatment with Dr. Wendaline VanBuren and Dr. Tantai Burnett on the BackTable OBGYN Podcast)
In-Depth: Endometrial Ablation with Dr. Barbara Levy on the BackTable OBGYN Podcast)

Articles

Topics

Learn about Career Inspiration on BackTable OBGYN
Learn about Gynecologic Surgery on BackTable OBGYN

Get in touch!

We want to hear from you. Let us know if you’re interested in partnering with BackTable as a Podcast guest, a sponsor, or as a member of the BackTable Team.

Select which show(s) you would like to subscribe to:

Thanks! Message sent.

bottom of page