Coaching is considered a systematised method of training high-performing athletes and musicians and is characterised by the provision of interpersonal support through interactive dialogue towards set goals. The word “coach” can be traced back to 15th century Europe when the town of Kocs in Hungary produced high-quality four-wheeled carriages that were used in many places, and the word “coach” came to mean a carriage. The word coach is also said to have come to be used to refer to the interpersonal support techniques used to transport important people and their belongings to their destinations. Coaching has since been widely adopted in the business world in Europe and the USA and began to spread in Japan in the late 1990s. In the medical world, literature on coaching has increased since around 2000, and coaching is now used in medical communication, hospital management and medical education. In this series of articles, examples of the introduction of coaching into professionalism education will be introduced from two perspectives: coaching for individuals and coaching for medical teams.

The Professionalism subcommittee of Japan Society for Medical Education has been examining a diverse range of issues related to medical professionalism education for approximately the past 20 years. In July 2015, the committee formulated and presented a draft on “ The Attributes and Competencies of Physicians: An Exploration of Professionalism” Based on this, we have been conducting educational activities on professionalism education, but we had not documented this draft. We are now re-presenting the draft here with minor lexical corrections and additional notes. The professionalism of physicians is delineated in seven attributes and competencies :1. Sense of mission and responsibility towards society2. Practice of patient-centered health care3. Demonstration of integrity and justice4. Acceptance of diverse values and sharing of fundamental values5. Fulfilling roles as leaders/members in organizations and teams6. Pursuit of excellence and lifelong learning7. Self-management and career developmentThis document is presented with the expectation that it will contribute to future discussions on professionalism education.