Part of my struggle as I was exploring the possibility of a career change a decade ago was that my traditional learning tools were of little benefit to this new process. Up until that point, there was a textbook or at least a journal article available for just about anything I wanted to learn. Sure, I got helpful input from my mentors and colleagues, but such information was to supplement or support what I saw in print.
Part of my initial career change struggle was unsuccessfully searching for a book to help guide me through the process and show me the non-clinical options out there for physicians. As time went on, I made my way through the process primarily by networking. The tools to explore non-clinical options, identify opportunities, and get in the door for interviews were email, the phone, and my direct interactions with others. Networking was relatively foreign to me until that time but crucial to succeeding in this new process and in the business world ahead.
In an attempt to fill the gaps that I identified when struggling through my own career change, I founded Physician Renaissance Network and wrote “Do You Feel Like You Wasted All That Training?” Both of these resources provide some of the conventional research tools familiar to physicians. Here you will have access to information about numerous non-clinical career options. You will find articles about career change, consulting, and entrepreneurism. Perhaps more importantly, however, you will find each other through our physician-members-only network and our LinkedIn networks. It is, after all, through the ability to network with other members with varying experiences that you will benefit most from what Physician Renaissance Network has to offer.
