The road to non-clinical career satisfaction
Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA
President and CEO, Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, another lousy golfer, terrible cook
Dear Dr. Desperate:
Thank you for your question about how to find non-clinical career satisfaction and success.
You are not alone. Many physician desperados are asking themselves the same question since we certainly did not learn how to do it during medical school or residency.
Physician entrepreneurship spans the generations. Each has certain similarities and differences:
The young and the restless These are the millennials and others who are medical students, residents, fellows and those who have been in practice less than 5 years. While I think stereotyping generations is stupid , work-life balance, debt repayment and lack of loyalty to an employer or career seems to figure into the psychographic calculus
The desperados. These are those in the prime of their careers, usually between 35-65. They are in so deep they are unwilling or unable to change so they just keep on keeping on.
The old and the grumpy. These are the over the hill gang who have decided to take that white coat and shove it or are dealing with when the white coat gets the pink slip.
The road to non-clinical career success is paved with good intentions, but there are several landmines. To avoid those, follow this Six P Plan to non-clinical career satisfaction:
- PURPOSE: What is your vision that is aligned with your purpose?
2. PEOPLE: Who are the people you need to help you?
3. PLAN: Where are you now, where do you want to go, what do you need to get there?
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4. PLATFORM: Create a platform to execute your plan
5. PRODUCE: How to get traction and scale your non-clinical career
6. PROFIT: Money matters
Why are we so emotional about money?
Other trends:
- More clinicians who VC
- Companies consider your subject matter expertise the price of entry. They want you to help them sell their products
- How (equity v cash) and how much you get paid depends on many factors. The basic model, though, is do the work now and get paid later for success.
- Enterprise sales are getting harder and taking longer
- "Clinical champions", while necessary, are not part of the buying team so get short shrift when it comes to selling vendor products
- Doctors don't know how to sell so they are at a disadvantage finding a non-clinical career slot
- Doctors have a closed mindset and don't know how to close the deal
- Having an adequate financial runway to pursue a non-clinical role and risk aversion are getting in the way
- The 6R's of career transitioning
- We need to fill the career transitioning education, training, and development gaps to help doctors create the competencies they need to fill market needs.
Finding the right match can be difficult—whether the match is between a school and aspiring students, or between a hiring manager and prospective employees, or between people looking for a romantic relationship. A critical piece in making a good match is the “hidden†information that each side sometimes withholds from the other. Indeed, new research finds that, when either side has more access to this information, it often yields a better match.
Be serious, but don't take yourself too seriously.
Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA is the President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs on Substack
President and CEO, Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, another lousy golfer, terrible cook
6 个月This workshop offers a deep dive into alternative career paths in healthcare beyond the clinical space. Attendees will explore various non-clinical opportunities, including leadership roles, healthcare consulting, technology innovation, and entrepreneurial ventures. Experts will share insights on transitioning to these fields, navigating new opportunities, and the skills needed to thrive in non-clinical environments. This session is perfect for those looking to expand their horizons and make impactful contributions outside traditional clinical roles.