Our Coaches

Gita Mehta, MD, FACP, is Emeritus Professor at University of California San Diego (UCSD) in the Department of Medicine. She served as a clinician-educator in the Division of General Internal Medicine for over 25 years. With a continued strong commitment to the profession and medical education, she sought and received a Fulbright Grant to India in 2018, where she worked with local faculty to create a professionalism program for learners in the participating medical institution.

She is faculty at the Academy of Healthcare Communication (achonline.org) through which she continues to participate in mentoring and guiding trainees and delivering external-facing workshops. She is a certified Health and Well-being coach, and a physician development coach. She now provides coaching for faculty physicians at UCSD and continues to develop and present communication and wellness workshops for undergraduate students and faculty physicians.

Originally from the UK, Nicola Chikkalingaiah received her bachelor's degree in English Literature and Asian Studies from Dartmouth College, her MD from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and her residency training in Family Medicine at Oregon Health and Sciences University. After 15 years of practice, primarily in medically under-served communities, she left clinical medicine to care for a loved one with complex medical and mental health needs. In 2020, she began a new career as a medical writer and founded Orchard Medical Writing, LLC the following year. Nicola's interest in the wellbeing of healthcare professionals led her to become a Master Certified Physician Development Coach in 2024. She has found that the coaching approach, which assumes every individual to be inherently capable, resourceful, and creative, is ideally suited to supporting high-achieving professionals navigate overwhelm to find freedom and fulfillment.

Robert McGregor retired from a 40 + year career as a pediatrician at the end of 2024, having also served as a medical educator, a pediatric residency director, an hospital administrator, department chair and most recently as Chief Medical Officer, reporting directly to the CEO, for the Akron Children's Hospital system throughout eastern Ohio. Physician Wellness and resiliency have been a big part of my career, having co-founded a barrier free, concierge, mental health non-profit (Akron Physician Wellness Initiative). I remain active at the Northeast Ohio Medical University, as Professor of Pediatrics. I enjoy feeding forward to any medical provider or trainee exploring transition or adjusting to changing roles in medicine through my role as a coach. Medical providers, especially those in transition are susceptible to the "imposter phenomenon" and I enjoy coaching clients through those times of self-doubt.

Paula is passionate about helping healthcare providers reconnect with what matters most, envision bold futures, and design lives they truly love. A firm believer that every provider deserves to feel empowered, valued, and fulfilled, she creates a safe, supportive space for reflection, clarity, and growth.

After completing her coach training with The Physician Coaching Institute, Paula committed herself to supporting fellow healthcare professionals through life's complexities — whether navigating burnout, career transitions, or simply seeking greater joy and balance. Her compassionate, insightful coaching conversations help clients rediscover their purpose, honor their core values, and take confident, forward-focused steps toward the future they deserve.

Paula envisions a world where all healthcare providers thrive, both personally and professionally — and she's honored to walk alongside them on that journey.

Dr. Andrea Austin is an emergency physician and certified Physician Development Coach (ICF Level 1). Her service in the military and work on the front lines of emergency medicine gave her a firsthand understanding of burnout and moral injury in healthcare. She coaches in the areas of career fulfillment, leadership, and changemaking.

Michele Knox, MD empowers healthcare professionals to navigate life's twists and turns, build resilience, and find clarity for a life of greater ease and grace.  Using evidence-based processes, she helps clients clarify their goals, identify obstacles, and take sustainable action.

As a Master Certified Physician Development Coach, following 25+ years in Ophthalmology & Physician Leadership, Michele understands the complexity of a life in medicine.  Her medical training was completed at Dalhousie University, Canada & The University of California San Francisco. She served in leadership roles at all levels of a very large group practice in Northern California:  Department Chief, Medical Center Assistant Physician in Chief and Regional Leadership of Operating Rooms & Procedure Rooms for 21 hospitals.  Michele has extensive expertise supporting those in training, navigating career transitions &  leadership, in addition to building clinician wellness & resilience.