Improving Our Career in Medicine Easier Said than done ? Dr.T.V.Rao, MD

Improving Our Career in Medicine Easier Said than done ?

Dr.T.V.Rao, MD India with many qualified knowledged and dedicated manpower continues to be world’s greatest Human resource; however people get stagnated and apathetic to work, the reasons are many, the reason may the individual apathy, great bottle necks include red tapeism bureaucratic control, lack of infrastructure, poor working condition and interpersonal conflicts in many Government and even private establishments. In the era of privatization it is utmost important to improve our career or we will certainly perish with our own lack of desire to progress. I find life is interesting just doing our day to day work just to satisfy the job requirements, it is important that we should invest at least 10% of our life and time to find a better way to progress in life, which may look difficult as many of us are satisfied with the present earnings and job security. Life teaches the best lessons when we are placed in disappointing circumstances, we should take up a call to improve the career. Careers can improve or completely change direction over time, but long term changes don't just happen overnight - you need to work at it. When new opportunities arise - sometimes raise up without notice - will you be ready for them? There are many things you can do to increase your chances of being prepared for these opportunities when they appear. The great draw back many of newer generation of students and young Medical professionals just read what is essential for performing well in examination, if you wish to know better world, Read: books, magazines, and Professional journals related to the profession of either the job you have now, or from an organization you would like to be employed in future. Reading will help you acquire a better perspective of the Profession and your place in it.I wish to state how I was inspired, improved, by reading many scientific articles. Just I wish to state, what made me what I am Today, as an example, how The Lancet the well-known medical journal contributed to my career when I was placed as Medical officer in Andhra University in Visakhapatnam in 1973, the administrators of the Library wish to discontinue subscription to the journal, The Lancet as nobody is reading the journal, and it is not a Medical College, and I requested the Librarian that I will borrow the journal every week to fulfil the administrative formalities to continue for the subscription, he did it and I greatly improved my ideas of practice in the most narrow circumstances to work in a dispensary. Many of us neglect our priorities certainly we can never become masters of our work and continue to remain slaves of our Jobs, just try to think about priorities. Re-evaluate Your Priorities: Take some time to stop and think about what your priorities are in your career and your life in general. Don't be side tracked by something that sounds good on the surface but won't take you where you want to be with you career. Just because someone else may do this, that or the other thing to develop their career path, doesn't mean you need to. Do what is best for you, many students ask what is good speciality for me to proceed in my higher studies, and I always tell do not look at some one look to self and decide, if we take medical specialities every branch needs different temperament, take an Anatomist, he is very cool as nothing serious happen in the profession however a Surgeon cannot be like a Anatomist as everything is serious to handle. Communication has become part of our lives, from facing the Viva to patient interaction as an examiner if I asses the students, who really good in the subject are poor in communication and they will be overtaken by well communicating students, The good GOD not made all equal in life still try to be better communicators and certainly succeed in many ventures you take up. Develop Your Communication Skills: Good communication skills are essential for all endeavours in life, especially for career development. This includes verbal, written and body language communication. Consider to increase your public speaking ability by taking more active part in many Seminars we take up. You will learn a lot from listening to other members speak also. Many books are available to help with writing skills and good body language. Remember, people who appear relaxed and composed, and can communicate their ideas clearly are more likely to get promotions and raises. Medical professionals are poor in up keeping their health with exercises, in view of demanding time schedules, Exercise Regularly: Exercise will make you feel better and be healthier. It will help you increase your stamina when working long hours or taking weekend or evening classes - or just getting through a typical work day. Right or wrong, healthier feeling people radiate an energy that is more likely to get them promotions and raises. Just walk a while when you are free, as the world / nature teaches many lessons than when we glued to our chair and bed. If we ask our students how comfortable you are, the majority answer I am fine which means that he is in his comfort job which really means his progress has stopped. Challenge Yourself: Always challenge yourself - step outside your comfort zone. This is the only way you can grow both personally and in your career. Don't be afraid of trying something difficult, even if you fail at achieving what you originally intended to accomplish - you will still learn something new from the experience - and this will help your career. If we wish to progress in life, it is not relaxation and it is just continuous struggle. Many western medical students travel to many developing countries as they live and work in most ideal circumstances with technical advances. I wish our medical students, when they travel to a place away from routine work, just visit a hospital and look at the modalities of work; even the poor people are treated by very committed Doctors in developing countries. Our Indian medical education system we are training our medical students in a protected environment, which makes many of them poor performer when they really work alone in rural health centres. Set Clear Goals and Measure Your Progress – Whether you hope to obtain a promotion, raise, or new job, you won’t accomplish anything in 2013, unless you set and hold yourself to tangible goals. Once you’ve determined your annual goals, identify the more easily attainable intermediate milestones that will allow you to measure your progress. No matter how long you have been at a job or how many times you have proven yourself, you must continually strive to exceed expectations and generate incremental value for your hospital or establishment and above all yourself. Make an effort to go to conferences, seminars, happy hours, and industry events; seek individuals who may be able to help you reach your career ambitions not only today but also tomorrow. I have been both popular and unpopular as I do not agree with many things proposed in the profession by many around or even, my own boss as he may not be always right may be some times we may be good to our patients. In the era of privatization we are more dependent on our employer we may lose security if we differ on every matter try to be accommodative with scientific spirit, Volunteer to complete challenging projects and assignments. One of the best ways to advance your career is to identify an organizational problem and propose a solution. By offering to implement the solution, you will not only increase your visibility as a problem-solver in the organization, but you might also expand your skills in the process. Each of us has a certain number of years to invest in working and making a living. Having a job is fine, but creating a career will maximize your opportunities for success. To have a successful career requires that you pursue career management strategies. A successful career doesn’t happen unthinkingly. It needs planning, tending, and frequent review. Are you ready to pursue these career development strategies? Try doing something good which improves the life of our patients, it is the best contribution, and career advances without our knowledge.

Dr.T.V.Rao MD