Can We Coach Resilience? An Evaluation of Professional Resilience Coaching as a Well-Being Initiative for Surgical Interns

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a professionally trained, resilience coach for surgical interns.

Design: Mixed-methods study with pre- and postcoaching quantitative surveys measuring burnout and resilience factors and semistructured interviews.

Setting: General, Vascular, Cardiac, Plastic, and Urologic Surgery residencies at a tertiary academic center.

Participants: Categorical and preliminary interns (N = 25) participated in a year-long, 8-session resilience coaching program for the academic year 2018 to 2019.

Results: Program participants included 17 (68%) men and 8 (32%) women. The precoaching survey administered to interns before the start of the program identified 60% at risk of burnout as measured by the Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory. The mean (standard deviation) Brief Resilience Scale score was 3.8 (0.8), with a trend toward a higher score (greater resilience) among men compared to women (4.1 [0.7] vs 3.4 [1.0], p = 0.10). Following the completion of the coaching program, the mean (standard deviation) Brief Resilience Scale score increased significantly from 3.8 [0.8] to 4.2 [0.7] p = 0.002). There were no changes in other parameters measuring burnout, satisfaction with life, or positive/negative affect. In semistructured interviews (N = 16/25 participants), most interns believed the coaching experience provided useful skills, but expressed concern about the durability of a 1-year intervention. Additionally, leadership-driven wellness at work, including optimizing team dynamics and purpose-driven engagement, were emphasized.

Conclusions: About 60% of new interns at our institution were at risk of burnout. The coaching program was viewed positively and was effective in improving resilience. While this intervention was a useful first step, it should be incorporated into a longitudinal wellness program for the duration of surgical training.