If you’re a physician who has thought about making the leap to a nonclinical career, you’re not alone.
In January 2022, the AMA published an article about medicine’s great resignation noting that 1 in 5 doctors plan to exit in 2 years. The surprising thing is that many physicians think about leaving medicine for years before they actually do it and some never take the steps required to make the change. If you’ve been thinking about making the move for more than 6 months, here are a few myths that may be contributing to your delayed action. Myth #1 - You have to stay in the same career/position for the duration of your career It's natural to want different things as your priorities shift throughout the seasons of your life. And if you think that there is something wrong with wanting a change, you may unknowingly sabotage your efforts to do so. You don’t need a “valid reason” to justify exploring a new career path such as a move to support your spouse or significant other, or to stay home with the children (yes, men I’m talking to you too as an increasing number of men are deciding to be stay-at-home dads so they don’t miss out on their kids early years). Give yourself permission to want what you want. If that means a change of position or career, so be it. Whatever your reasons, don’t be afraid to dream. I think it is a dying art that needs to be revived. If you believed that anything was possible and knew you couldn’t fail, what would you want to do? If you haven’t asked yourself this question in a while (or ever), carve out a little dream time this week to see what comes up. Myth #2 - Leaving clinical practice means you aren’t a doctor anymore. This was a big one for me. I remember the first time I asked myself the question, “What if I don’t want to be a doctor anymore?” In truth, the question I was really struggling with is, “What if I don’t want to see patients anymore?”. This was the one picture I had in my mind of what a doctor was and after all of the time, energy, and sacrifices how could I simply walk away from it all? I’ve learned a lot since then and now know that there are limitless ways that you can make a meaningful impact on health without seeing individual patients. But, the one thing that I want to emphasize is that once you’ve earned your medical degree, and the title of doctor, you are and will always be a doctor. You are a physician. No one can take that achievement away from you. Myth #3 - If you just work a little harder and wait long enough, things will get better. This one is a trap that many physicians fall into. We tend to be hard workers naturally. This leads to a tendency to overwork. And that overworking can keep you stuck because you never have time to even explore what could be possible outside of your current job. When you’re always exhausted and often feeling overwhelmed, there is no energy to consider the questions that arise when making a big decision like this. Before I made the decision to pursue a nonclinical career, I kept trying to reinvent myself within my organization. I accepted new responsibilities thinking it would make work feel better. The problem was that I didn’t release any of the existing tasks on my plate and ended up working more than before the change. And then when I decided to cut back on my time (lower FTE), the result was working the equivalent of a full-time position but getting paid less. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Don’t fall into this trap. Be honest with yourself about your situation. And if you’re just too close to it and need a more objective view, seek out a trusted advisor or close friend who has your best interest at heart and will tell you the truth. Myth #4 - You have to be unhappy in your career/position to consider new opportunities. When you’re frustrated and unfulfilled in your career, it makes sense to think about making a change. But did you know that you could explore new career directions when you’re satisfied with your work? Most people consider making a change at some point in their career and physicians are no exception. As you gain more experience and skills, you may find that you want to learn how to leverage your expertise in different ways. Investigating career growth strategies can help you augment the success of your long-term career trajectory. By proactively taking ownership of your career growth, you can intentionally drive the direction of your career path with exciting and lucrative professional development opportunities. Myth #5 - You can’t leave your current clinical position until you have a new nonclinical one lined up. There are different reasons that you may decide to leave your current clinical practice before you’ve secured your desired new nonclinical position. You may be burned out or in the midst of a personal health crisis for you or a loved one. If you’re in a toxic or abusive environment you may need to leave urgently without adequate time to find something else. In my conversations with countless physicians, one consistent fear that is shared is being without a job. It’s important to explore that fear to understand the underlying reason it exists. When you do this, you regain your ability to choose what is best for you (and your family) from an empowered place. If you need a break, you may be able to arrange a short-term leave of absence from your current employer. Check to see if you have short-term disability insurance that may provide some income during this time. Or you can secure a temporary job that allows you to earn income while freeing up time for you to take care of yourself and get clear on what you want in the next phase of your career. This could include locums tenens, consulting, teaching, or other opportunities that provide a greater sense of work-life balance while you begin preparing and planning for your nonclinical career transition. Have any of these myths impacted your nonclinical career transition? If yes, I want to hear about it. Leave a comment below or click here to send me a private message and share which of the above has delayed your progress.
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When you’re unhappy with work, it takes a significant toll on other areas of your life. So much so, that it’s hard to find time to focus on finding something new.
When I meet with physicians to discuss the challenges they are facing in their career, one of the questions I ask is, “How long have you been thinking about making a change?” Many have been thinking about it for several months to years before getting to the point where they were ready to take some (serious) action. For me, the time between making the decision to transition to a nonclinical career and actually making the leap was 3 years. And while many physicians are ready to be in a new career having a better experience of work yesterday, it can be incredibly helpful to think about what you can begin to do now to prepare for your eventual transition. Here are 9 suggestions to get you started:
So, the above suggestions are a place for you to get started as you prepare for your career transition. Let me know which of these actions on the list you’ve already started or plan to implement first. If you have one you'd like to add to the list, please let me know. And if you’d like some support as you prepare for your own transition, feel free to reach out. I offer a complimentary (confidential) career consultation for physicians and healthcare professionals where we can discuss your unique situation. You can schedule one by clicking here. 4/7/2024 0 Comments An Important ReminderThis month marks the 8 year anniversary of my last pediatric clinic. It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed.
As I think back over my medical career, particularly the clinical aspects, I have a lot of things that I am truly grateful for and also things that I’m proud of. This week I listened to a podcast episode where Brooke Castillo (The Life Coach School) is celebrating 10 years of consistently publishing a weekly podcast. Listening to that podcast reminded me of the importance of celebrating. When was the last time that you celebrated...YOU? So often we’re focused on “the next thing”. We aspire to a goal. We reach it. And instead of pausing to really celebrate and appreciate what we’ve accomplished, we move on to the next thing. And so, this is your reminder to take the time to reflect on the things that you feel proud of, so that you can celebrate the accomplishments achieved over the course of your medical career. Spend a few moments thinking about each of the following: 1. The impact you’ve had, both directly and indirectly. Recently, my very first pediatric patient reached out to me with a friend request on Facebook. My introduction to him and his family was being the first physician to show up as he was coding. It was my first day of internship. I was on my way to meet the family when the code was called. He was not given much hope for survival due to multiple neurologic complications that were expected to result in a poor quality of life, if he survived. I was honored that the family chose me to be his pediatrician, and celebrated every milestone he made with them as he defeated one odd after another. After accepting his request, he sent me a direct message to share that I had been on his mind and he wanted to reach out to let me know that he graduated from college, got married, and became a father last year. So, sometimes you will get direct positive feedback and you’ll understand and appreciate the impact that you've had on the lives of your patients, and their families, maybe even their friends…people that they touch and that you touch indirectly. And for the times when you don’t hear anything, trust that you are making an impact. 2. The challenges that you’ve overcome. What are the things that you stuck with when it was really, really, hard. Maybe the difficult call nights where you thought about just calling it quits. Unplanned life events that showed up that presented additional obstacles for you to overcome. The unimaginable days and nights that only you (and maybe a select few in your inner circle) know about. Be proud of the ways in which you met all of those challenges, big and small. And honor the fact that you kept going, and you stuck with it. 3. The ways that you’ve grown as a person, both personally and professionally. Sometimes the focus is on the outcome or attainment of the goal. And we don’t really appreciate the ways that we grow and change in the pursuit of that goal. The skills that you acquire. The emotional ways that you mature. The additional insights and education that you obtain. All of it shapes the person that you are today. Celebrate who you are because of your experience in medicine. And thank the "past you" for being willing to tolerate the discomfort of moving out of your comfort zone to become the person that you are today. So, as you reflect back over your medical career, what are the moments that you’re most proud of? How are you going to celebrate them? Send me a note and tell me. I want to know. I want to hear about your celebrations and I want to hear about the moments that you’re most proud of so that I can celebrate with you. Know that you are making a difference whether you’re practicing clinically and/or leveraging your medical expertise in nonclinical ways such as speaking, writing, researching, advocating, leading…it’s all important. It all matters. The other pearl I gleaned from listening to that podcast episode that I want to share with you is the concept of “re-deciding”. Thinking about everything in your life and periodically re-deciding. If you had to do it all over again, would you still choose the things in your life today? Whether that’s the relationship you're in, the neighborhood where you reside, the house that you live in, the place that you work, the work that you’re doing, etc. Today, would you re-decide to do what you are doing? It's a really powerful question. If you’re struggling with finding or creating a list of things that you feel proud of about your career right now, or if you (re)decide that you would not choose to continue on your current career path, I encourage you to reach out and schedule some time for us to chat. You can use the link below to schedule some time on my calendar for a complimentary career consultation, and we can talk about where you are versus where you want to be. https://calendly.com/callwithmichellebailey/30min Whether that’s transitioning from a clinical to a nonclinical position, finding a new clinical opportunity that may be a better fit for you at this stage of your life and career, or figuring out how you can negotiate and reimagine your current clinical position if you’re not interested in leaving it, how can you reform it so that it’s better aligned with matters to you and supports you in meaningful ways. Thank you for your time in reading these words. I hope this has provided some value to you as you continue in your medical career. May you find inspiration and insights from this message that help you to be better poised to enjoy the journey. |
Life Beyond Clinical Practice with Dr. Michelle Bailey
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Hi, I'm Dr. Michelle Bailey.
I help physicians who are unhappy or unsatisfied with their current career find a nonclinical career that they love. Retiring early from clinical practice after almost 20 years as a board-certified pediatrician I successfully made the leap and transitioned to a nonclinical career. I'm thriving in my new career and am on a mission to help other physicians do the same with the support, guidance, and community that I wish I had when I was struggling with this decision. You're invited to connect with me in my private Facebook community for physicians to learn about all things related to your nonclinical career transition. Join here. |
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