How to create your physician career plan

Now, more than ever, physicians, students and trainees are reconsidering their career plans, be they premeds, medical students, residents, fellows or early, middle or late stage practitioners. They are confused about whether private practice is still a viable option. They are confused about which specialty is best for them. They are confused about whether they should get additional education and training, like an MBA, MPH or MHA. They are confused about whether and how they should pursue a non-clinical career. They are confused about how to pay off their ever rising student loan debt and its social and economic impact and how they should save for retirement or a career change, like entrepreneurship.

What is not confusing, though, is that there is no job security and, if you don't work for yourself, your income is at risk.

Here is the case for medical school non-clinical career education and training.

In the past, going to medical school and becoming a practicing physician, if you decided to do so, was a clear well scripted decision characterized by multiple years of education without significant gaps. Now, however, there is so much volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity in the US sick care system of systems that physicians need a better plan to navigate the turbulent waters.

Here are the steps you should follow that will take you from mindset to awareness to decision to action and continuous improvement and development.

1. Decide who you are. What is your mindset and personality?
2. Figure out whether work is a job, a career, a calling or just a way to get some life fulfillment. What is your ikigai?
3. Get the right knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies Execute your personal and professional development plan.
4. Build the right mindset
5. Create a personal business model canvas and, like other canvases, validate the assumptions by testing you ideas
6. Start with the end in mind and work backwards. Where do you want to go, where are you now and how you want to get to your destination. Initially, you might not know what will be a good fit, so try out several things and give yourself permission to explore various opportunities
7. As you progress, take what you have learned and modify your personal canvas so you can-
8. Experiment with the next opportunity, gradually building a portfolio
9. Connect to your innovation ecosytem and accumulate resources, networks, mentors, support and coaching or guidance to build your personal brand and begin marketing and selling yourself.
10. Continue to revisit and revise your personal plan on a regular basis

Track your progress and chronicle both your successes and failures so you can learn from your mistakes. Here is how to write a failure resume.

The process is a journey, not a destination. Look out for exit ramps and rest stops and enjoy the ride. Just remember to buckle your seat belt.

Are you ready to innovate?

Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA is the President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs

This work is licensed under a?Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Updated 12/2022