Charting Your Medical Career: Achievements, Confidence, and Pathways in 2024

Reflecting on your 2024 journey: Progress, confidence, and career pathways

As 2024 draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to pause and reflect on your professional journey this year. Whether you're advancing along your career pathway, celebrating new milestones, or striving to build confidence in your abilities, it's important to recognise how far you've come.

Often caught up in the day-to-day demands of patient care, taking the time to reflect is key to not only acknowledging your achievements but also paving the way for the future with renewed self-assurance.

This article highlights the importance of celebrating your progress, offers strategies to boost your confidence and explores diverse career pathways available to medical professionals.

Celebrating your 2024 achievements: How far have you come?

What were the highlights for you in 2024 so far? Sometimes it’s hard to remember what happened last week, let alone months ago! You might surprise yourself with the answer, and discover you’ve achieved much more than you realise. How are you tracking against the goals you set at the end of last year?

While you’re reflecting, take a moment to look at your CV objectively. Cover up your name and then review the CV as if it was someone else’s. Really look and think what it’s taken to achieve all this. Everything you’ve learned and experienced this year will not only add to your value in the industry, but it will also serve you for many years as you progress professionally.

Don’t forget to update your CV regularly so you don’t miss anything you’ve achieved.

Building confidence: Strengthening your professional presence

Confidence is a vital skill in healthcare, whether you're interacting with patients, speaking with senior management, or navigating job interviews. Yet, your confidence can often fluctuate depending on the setting. Your ability to carry out your work and communicate your value to others confidently is another linchpin within your career framework. What I’ve found is that some doctors who are highly confident in their day-to-day work need to develop confidence in important networking settings and interviews.

The good news is confidence can be learned and strengthened over time. ?Let’s look at two common scenarios: confidence in the workplace and at job interviews.

Confidence in the workplace: Effective communications with patients and leadership

Confidence can come naturally when you're with patients, whether communicating over the phone or in person. You confidently draw upon your expertise, and they see you as a knowledgeable professional.

However, when faced with questions from senior staff or speaking in front of a group, it's easy to feel anxious or freeze up. You may be asked a question that you know the answer to, but can’t speak up. How can you draw on your confidence in these situations?

• When talking to management, try engaging in casual, non-work-related conversations.? It helps to remember they are people, too, and were students when they started their career in healthcare
• When talking in front of a group, visualise you talking to a group of friends. People are not there to judge you; they are more interested in your presentation and why it’s important to them?

Mastering job interviews: Presenting yourself with confidence

Is self-doubt holding you back from getting the job you deserve?? Whether you’re sitting in front of one person or a panel of 15, your lack of confidence will show and likely impact your ability to get the role.

Here are some methods that will help you overcome self-doubt and exude confidence at job interviews:

1. Prepare: Plan and prepare for the questions you may be asked
2. Practice your pitch: Be precise and leave no question about who you are, what you do and what makes you unique
3. Current CV: Know the content of your CV intimately so that you can convey your experience, qualifications, and interests confidently
4. Visualise the outcome: Visualise the interview process, answering questions confidently, and then being offered the role. Do this multiple times
5. Make eye contact and smile: Smile when you greet your interviewers and look directly at them
6. Seating: Maintain your posture so you’re not slouching but avoid looking stiff

Define your career path: Where will medicine take you?

Have you thought about where you would like to take your career? If not, now is a good time to start planning. Whether its clinical or nonclinical, defining your career path will help you identify future opportunities, a timeline to achieve them and what you should be doing to attain those opportunities.

Your career pathway should be determined by what you enjoy doing the most. It shouldn’t be just about money or status. What excites you? Is it research, working with patients, volunteering, leading teams on projects?

There are things you can do to find your passion:

• Start research when you’re in university to find the career path you’re interested in
• Participate in community activities (volunteer) that are loosely linked to healthcare (e.g. surf lifesaving). Something you enjoy and will reflect well in your career down the track
• Clinical placements will give you an idea of what’s available
• If you’re not sure what you really want yet, think of specific tasks or activities that you enjoy and which roles include those activities

If you enjoy what you do, then this will have a positive effect on your confidence.

As you continue on your career journey, stay focused on your goals. Whether you’re enhancing your communication skills, preparing for interviews, or exploring new career pathways, each step you take will contribute to your growth as a medical professional. Everything you learn shows your commitment, so take the time to celebrate your progress. You’re building a career that makes a difference.

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If you’re ready to plan your next steps for 2025 and want help getting started, contact me at [email protected]

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