my journey …
I have always been obsessed with the learning process. As a student vying for ortho, I was simultaneously highly motivated to climb the learning curve and unsure of how to do it. The available information was either overwhelming (who has time for 1000+ pages of textbooks?) or exclusive to a select few (how are some people always in the right place at the right time?). Eventually, as a resident, I clearly see what was so nebulous as a student. Thus, White Coat Coaching (WCC) was born with courses for medical students applying to orthopedic surgery.
Coaching, which I embraced during fellowship, shifted my approach to learning. Unlike traditional mentorship and book learning, coaching helps individuals grow by tapping into their own experiences. This method, rooted in adult learning principles, revealed my blind spots and led me to examine my motivations and habits. As a result, I again learned to allocate my resources wisely.
Recognizing the potential of this approach, I became a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation to bring the methodology to other physicians. Today, as an upper extremity surgeon in private practice in Michigan who also enjoys the sport of skydiving, I continue to navigate my own professional and personal development journeys.
