PRN is pleased to be able to follow the progress of clinical physicians as they search for new non-clinical careers. This third entry from an Internist in Los Angeles is titled: “How I Chose an Area of Career Interest.”
In the 3 years that I had been trying to make a career change out of clinical medicine, I had gained no insight as to what I wanted to do next. I read 2 small books published by the American Medical Association on changing from clinical practice, and I was no more enlightened than I was before I read them. These books were both better for someone who has decided what they want to do. I considered working with a career coach specialized in physicians, however I was reticent because of the $4000+ price tag.
Fortuitously, I was talking to a friend who was also attempting to find more job satisfaction and I mentioned that I felt frustrated that I was not making any progress. She mentioned that there was a conference she had seen for physicians who want to change out of clinical medicine, but had decided the $1200 price tag plus airfare across the country was too expensive. “Too expensive” sounded like a bargain to me, and I convinced her that I could get us both there for $250 a piece, and that we should go and share a room.
The conference, “Non Clinical Careers for Physicians @www.seak.com, gave me all the information I needed, to decide an area of career interest. We did a Birkman career inventory, which confirmed what I already knew, that I loved writing. I always felt there was no way I could afford the pay cut I’d take as a medical writer, but I found there were many areas other that medical writing, where I could use my passion for writing. I also learned about the importance of networking, negotiating and other skills that we frequently have not developed as physicians.
My Birkman also confirmed that I would enjoy an administrative position. I wanted to utilize public speaking, which was a hobby, so the careers that appealed to me and would allow me to utilize writing, public speaking and administration were Publishing and Medical Communications. I ultimately decided to pursue Medical Communications because it involved more creativity and there was better financial compensation.
Identifying what would be a good career choice for one’s personality and skill set, is probably the single most important step in career change. It takes a lot of work and effort to pursue a career, so it’s important to put all your energy and effort in a focused direction. Once you get some momentum going, learning about and pursuing your new career choice becomes exciting, rather than just a lot of work.
