Physician Peer Coach
Dr. Gretchen Rickards (Kennett Square, PA) is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician and has been a peer coach with VITAL WorkLife since 2023. She received her doctorate degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry in Rochester, New York and completed her residency and chief resident year at Tripler Army Medical Center. She then went on to complete a fellowship in general internal medicine and faculty development at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Dr. Rickards is a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Certified Diversity Coach through the ICF accredited program Coaching Out of the Box. Outside of medical practice, Dr. Rickards is the owner of GR Coaching and Consulting where she provides leadership and life coaching for high-achieving professionals.
Dr. Rickards has extensive knowledge and experience providing leadership and peer support in high-pressure situations. She was an officer in the US Army for nine years and has over 15 years of experience in leadership roles in academic medicine. She most recently served as the Program Director of the largest residency program in the state of Delaware and led the program through the COVID-19 pandemic. She is currently a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and is a member of the Society for General Internal Medicine and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine.
In her private coaching and consulting practice, Dr. Rickards works with residents, physicians, and leaders to navigate and manage change, improve work/life balance, build resiliency, manage conflict, provide career guidance, improve communication skills, address performance concerns, and assist in curriculum and program development. As a physician mother living in a dual physician household, she also specializes in coaching physician mothers and spouses.
