One of the biggest hurdles for many early career physicians is knowing when and how to transition out of their first job. Leaving in exasperation or desperation can set a pattern of looking at the wrong characteristics in a job and ending up with a string of bad fits.
This is why I am so invested in helping physicians develop the mindset and methods to allow them to transition into their first jobs with a sense of success, satisfaction and well-being. Those same abilities come into play when the time comes to transition out.
It always comes back to knowing yourself and your priorities. A big part of knowing how to establish the elements of a thriving life is being able to acknowledge and accept when those elements aren’t present for you. You have to be real about what is most important to you to know how well a job fits the life you want.
When decision time comes, there are two major skills you need in order to recognize when it’s a good idea to roll out from the wrong job. I think it’s really important to have these mastered as soon as possible.
An ability to recognize when nonsense is afoot.
You usually know when something isn’t right, even in a new environment. It’s not unusual to have some adjustment to personalities, work flow and such. By six months or so at a job, you have sense of what is the cultural norm.
When you think their norm is nonsense, you must determine whether it’s fixable by you or them. The sooner you acknowledge it, the faster you can address it.
An ability to understand all the factors impacting joy at work.
Convincing yourself all will be better once “X” happens is red flag thinking. When you are miserable and X is required to make life tolerable, it is almost never sufficient to keep life satisfying. Usually, some other shoe drops after X is addressed, and things get bad again.
For instance, hiring new doctors to ease the call schedule doesn’t work when your practice is a revolving door of physicians. The new hires don’t yield a net increase in the call pool, and the regular resignations point to other dysfunction at play. While call may be the most pressing problem, it’s likely not the only big one.
I like to think of the first job after training as a fellowship in attending life. It allows you to learn about aspects of physician life you may not have considered as a trainee. Aligning that new knowledge with your intentions and priorities is key to knowing when you’ve found a good fit, where you are or elsewhere.
Did you enjoy this article? Sign up here to have blog updates and the Essence of Strength monthly ezine delivered directly to your inbox.
If you would like to discuss how to be more confident as you transition into or out of a job, please click here to request an Essence of Strength complimentary clarity conversation.
Dr Jattu Senesie is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, certified success coach, physician satisfaction specialist and speaker. She blogs about issues of self care and well-being in an effort to help her fellow altruistic high achievers find satisfaction in their success as early in their careers as possible.
