Are you unhappy in clinical medicine but you don’t feel ready to give up seeing patients?

A change in practice environment might be what you need!

Here are the stories of two physician clients who thought they needed to leave clinical medicine. Instead, they changed where they practiced.

Client 1: An early career physician in a surgical specialty.

This physician came to coaching because she was feeling increasingly anxious at work. She wanted out of clinical medicine. There were fundamental differences between her and senior partners in approaches to patient care and core values.

What she loved about her job was being in the OR. She enjoyed the challenge of technically complex procedures and teaching residents. She didn’t want to give that up. She tried to set boundaries, had conversations with her partners about their differences, and reviewed cases with colleagues but things were getting worse. The clinical environment was not a good fit for her.  

During our work together, she explored and pursued clinical opportunities in other health care systems. She successfully landed a position that checked most of her boxes and felt like a good culture fit. She moved her family out of state and started a new job.

Where is she now?

She’s enjoying her new work environment. While she still experiences occasional anxiety, support from her colleagues and being able to practice medicine in a way that’s aligned with her values, has made a big difference in the way she feels about her career. 

Client 2: A late career physician in a medical specialty.

This physician came to coaching on the edge of burnout from clinical care. She was eager to transition to a non-clinical job. Her current job was “killing” her. Low patient volumes during the pandemic meant she was working harder for less. Her very long commute didn’t help. She had no time for herself and her health was at risk. Truth be told, she wanted to retire. However, financially that wasn’t an option for her.

During the process of exploring what she wanted, she realized she was too isolated and needed more social support. She decided to move to a different city to be closer to family and friends. Just as she made the decision to move, she found a position in a facility close to her new home. Gone was the long commute! While the move was stressful and filled with uncertainty, she took the leap.

Where is she now?

When my client started the new job, her boss soon recognized her unique skill set and my client negotiated an exciting different role that came with more money.

She still works hard and is tired after a day’s work but she has her support system firmed up. The shorter commute means she had time at the end of the day to work out and focus on her health.

What did it take for these physicians to land better-suited situations?

They connected with their values, skills, and needs.

They did it scared. There were no guarantees the moves would work out. They took intentional risks in the direction they wanted to go.

They took themselves (and their baggage) with them. They are both working with their unique challenges, but their work environments are better aligned with their needs and values.  

What about you? If moving is not an option for you, how might a small change in environment support you in rediscovering the joy in practicing medicine?