Career change for doctors

When I first set up Medical Forum - I was focused more on career change away from medicine because the people I was hearing from were experiencing major health or career obstructions.

The emphasis has changed and the challenge is now more about assisting doctors to remain being doctors or to use their medical and health care knowledge and skills in more creative and effective ways. There is still an element or "career change" but somehow more organic.

I still say to people "its not about changing career - its about finding out what you want more of in life and then getting a plan for achieving that". Of course at times this incorporates change. But at the end of the day - most doctors did medicine because........ they want to work as doctors. Not rocket science you may say. The trouble is that so much of how people are expected to choose careers and then work in them is not addressed in the career guidance or recruitment process.

But I could write about this until the cows come home. In summary - career change doesn't always mean radical change but it does always mean changing "something" - from location to attitude, from colleagues to work content. from workstyle to hours worked. Radical change has its place but is not something anyone should leap into  - so career planning "prior to any resignation" is always my preferred way forwards if only because at times the resignation is not timely or not even needed.