The distractions in medicine make it easy for a physician at any stage in her career to feel frustrated, overwhelmed and discouraged. The pressure to compete can become more destructive than constructive. And when you measure your progress against your peers the results can add to further disappointment and rattle your confidence.
Physicians remember the moment the decision to become a doctor is made. At that moment there is a strong desire that motivates you to develop the plan and take the steps to achieve the goal. Quite possibly, you mapped out more than one pathway that would lead you to medical school, graduation, training, and achieving your goal. The goal of becoming a doctor.
So how did you get off course? How do you lose sight of the career and life that you had always dreamed of? When did you take your focus off your goal?
What you may not have realized is becoming a doctor is not the end goal. In fact it is just the beginning. Achieving the MD is the beginning of the real work of building a life and career that honors your gifts and talents, and allows you to be of service to the patients and medical community you choose. The success you desire is within your reach when you commit to defining and refining the vision for your life and career. Your vision will continue to blossom as you achieve one milestone, such as becoming a doctor, and then move towards the next. Begin the process of defining and refining your clear vision with these 3 steps.
- Create a clear vision of who you are in medicine. Yes, you are a doctor. What does that mean to you? It goes beyond the medical knowledge you’ve acquired and encompasses the gifts, talents, and experiences that contribute to your expertise. Why is this so important? Each of us have unique gifts and talents that we bring to our medical careers and are needed in medicine. They are often the very things that you do so easily that you take them for granted. Your gifts, talents, and interest will direct your path. Some physicians are meant to be clinicians, others researchers, while others will find their home in nonclinical arenas. The objective in this first step is to take the time to define who you are and what is best for you that allows you to use your assets for career and life success. Once you’ve created your clear vision, you will use it as the backdrop to future decision making. You can stop comparing your path to others and define success on your own terms.
- Commit to lifelong learning. Although medical school graduation was the end of formal academic education, the learning is just beginning. Success in the modern world of medicine requires far more than the knowledge of the medical school curriculum. The advances in technology now demand a certain level of mastery of the technology used in your specialty. Then there is learning how to optimize your communications skills, your leadership skills, and your people management and negotiation skills, to name a few. Mastery of these skills can make you a sought after expert. Neglecting this skill set can keep you struggling to get ahead.
- Clear the Clutter. Clearing the clutter is a critical piece to creating your clear vision of success. It creates the space for you to see where you are and where you are going. The first step in clearing the clutter is to shift from negativity and what is missing in medicine and focus on the possibilities of your desires. Much of the media and online presence around medicine focuses on the problem of what is not working in healthcare. The solutions that you seek in your career and in your life often can’t be found in the midst of the problem. Negativity and complaining has become so ingrained in the culture of medicine that we are often unaware it.
One recommendation to clients is to keep a diary of their conversations. At the end of the day review the entries and evaluate whether they were life affirming and inspiring or did they leave you feeling stressed out. Often clients are surprised at how much of their inner and outer conversations are not helpful.
Physicians who make the decision to stop comparing and complaining open themselves up to the world of possibilities. They become empowered to see how they are uniquely positioned to create solutions for their work environment, their career path, and their life. From this positive, solution oriented vision, they attract the right people and the right opportunities to move to their next level of success.
Interested in discovering how defining and refining your clear vision can catapult you to your next level of success? Let’s connect and talk. Email me at Stephanie@NurturingMDs.com to get acquainted.
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About Dr. Stephanie Wellington
Dr. Stephanie Wellington, a practicing physician, life coach and founder of Nurturing MDs, helps women in medicine unapologetically own their value, recognize their strength, and balance their life. Get your free guide 7 Deadly Mistakes That Women In Medicine Make That Keep Them Burned Out, Unbalanced, and Unfulfilled In Their Careers & 1 Thing To Do Now To Change It. Learn how Dr. Stephanie can help you at www.NurturingMDs.com.
