Career Transition - Major Physician Concerns

Toward the Light – 2009

Florida

Preparing and Overcoming

The transition from our careers is a process that is an unfamiliar, major undertaking that we all face. It affects us in common and unique ways that include personal, professional and medical practice matters.

You probably have the ability to plan and prepare in a timely, proactive manner. This is the optimal approach that provides you the most flexibility to deal with matters you know about now, as well as those you do not…for the time being. It also creates some room to deal with matters unexpected and unwanted.

This is the essence of a planned transition, one that you can choose when to initiate on your terms.

In contrast, a reactive transition is one that begins when life thrusts upon you a surprising change that is often unwanted.

My Circumstance

A reactive transition was what I had to deal with, despite having made initial, preliminary plans for my own career transition. I can attest that it is an unpleasant, unwanted set of experiences that are often unavoidable. 

It is very beneficial for you to recognize that you have the ability to plan proactively well in advance and make the most of it.

When? Well, your transition begins when you recognize that you have been thinking about it more often than usual. That is the signal that it is time to focus on this matter.

If you experience later something major that is life changing, you can adjust your plans accordingly.

I was able to do that and get on with my life rather nicely. 

This is Important to You

I have written about this numerous times over a period of years and find myself coming back to this theme. Why? 

Because it is extremely important to you and there is often a natural tendency for human beings from any walk of life to defer taking action. Why?Because there are myriad of personal reasons that are self-evident, such as the limited time and energy that you have left after having fulfilled numerous responsibilities daily. 

There is another reason that is not as readily evident: the very fact that this is an unfamiliar process leads naturally to a lack of appreciation of the amount of time and effort it takes to prepare properly. The time is measured in years; the effort is unmeasurable, but it is felt.

What’s Involved?

There are three major areas of responsibilities that you’ll need to endeavor to fulfill:

• Personal Matters
• Professional Matters
• Practice Matters

In this article, I describe important elements of Personal Matters. In two subsequent articles, I will address the others.

These are common issues and is by no means a complete list. Feel free to add your personal considerations.

Personal Matters

• Financial security; prepared?
• Health and well-being
• Concerns about loss of identity: clarity of personal, internal identity, external identity and persona
• Perspective: retirement (negative) or transition (positive)?
• Family matters: spouse, others
• Maintaining relationships
• What to do afterwards? Ongoing fulfillment of purpose and fun
• Where to live?
• Personal insurance policies
• Preparation: When and how to start?

Ponder and Plan

I encourage you to apply yourself fully to this endeavor sooner rather than later. Every bit of time and effort will accrue to your direct benefit and your family. As you do so, you will find that the concerns, preoccupation and even anxieties about the known and unknown will begin to wash away and bring a smile to your face.

Updated: May 17, 2024

PS: Would you like to learn more about how to transition from your practice? I would like to assist you. I provide practice transaction services that are tailored to your specific needs. Click here to request an introductory conversation.

If you would like to learn about another way that I can guide you, check out this brief video that describes my unique online course: 

 The Practice Transition Course for Physicians. _TM