ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What is the difference between mentorship, sponsorship, and coaching in a physician’s career, and how can coaching influence your professional development? On this episode of BackTable Urology, Dr. Helen Bernie interviews Dr. Emilie Johnson and Dr. Angie Smith about the transformative impact of career coaching for urologists. They break down how coaching differs from mentorship and sponsorship, who stands to benefit most, and the real value of having a conversation focused entirely on your goals and growth.
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This podcast was developed in collaboration with
Society of Women in Urology
https://swiu.org/home.aspx
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Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
03:21 - Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Coaching
06:23 - Paths Into Physician Coaching
11:39 - Who Should Seek a Coach
15:56 - What a Coach Does Differently
22:57 - Anatomy of a Coaching Session
28:21 - Coaching Frameworks and Tools
35:14 - Uncovering Unrecognized Goals
42:12 - Coaching Beyond the Workplace
47:16 - Advice for the Undecided Urologist
52:08 - Closing Remarks
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More about this episode
The discussion explores what a coaching session looks like, from low-stakes one-offs to multi-month programs, and the frameworks and tools that stick, like strengths-based assessments, DiSC, and the career portfolio exercise. Dr. Smith shares insights from her credentialed coaching program, while Dr. Johnson explains how coaching changes everything from listening at home to decision-making in the OR. The episode closes with advice on finding the right coach, recognizing when you are ready, and why coaching is about unlocking what you already know.
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Resources
Society of Women in Urology (SWIU)
https://www.swiu.org/
Effect of a Professional Coaching Intervention on the Well-being and Distress of Physicians: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial (Dyrbye et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2019)
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.2425
International Coaching Federation, credentialing and coach education requirements (ACC, PCC, MCC)
https://coachingfederation.org/credentialing/prepare-for-icf-credential-application/education-training-requirements/
UNC School of Medicine coaching programs, Office of Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development
https://www.med.unc.edu/facultyaffairs/coaching-culture/
VIA Character Strengths Survey, the free strengths assessment Dr. Smith recommends
https://www.viacharacter.org/
CliftonStrengths (Gallup)
https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/home.aspx
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BackTable Urology is the go-to podcast for urologists, urologic oncologists, and urogynecologists.
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