Changing Careers? This Is How to Defeat the Sunk Cost Fallacy, with Doctor-turned-developer Shona

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Sep 26, 2023

Guest Shona Chan, a doctor-turned-developer, shares her journey of transitioning from medicine to coding, motivated by a desire to solve a real-world problem. She discusses the skills she learned as a doctor that helped her in her new career and highlights the challenges of overcoming the sunk cost fallacy. The podcast also explores the rewarding aspects of creativity in programming and the limitations of learning through YouTube videos. Shona shares her excitement about her new role at a health tech startup, aligning with her mission as a doctor.

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Specializing in Anesthesiology: Compensation, Blend of Medicine and Surgery, and Reassuring Patients

08:23 • 4min

The Creative Aspect of Programming and Overcoming the Sunk Cost Fallacy

12:08 • 4min

Transitioning from YouTube to Scrimba

15:50 • 10min

The Role of the Speaker at a Health Tech Startup

26:01 • 13min

Expressing gratitude and thanks

39:16 • 2min

🎙 About the episode

Meet Shona Chan 🇸🇬🇬🇧! Shona was an anesthesiologist. Now, she's a developer. It all started when she wanted to write an app to solve a problem she had at work as a doctor. One thing led to another, and eventually, she took the plunge into coding, realizing that a career switch might not be such a bad idea.

This is a story of intrinsic motivation, amazing portfolio projects, and landing a job without even having to go through a tech interview. You'll discover how to identify your purpose, find out how to muster enough motivation to tackle difficult decisions, and learn why Shona saw her career change as a lateral move instead of a fresh start. Shona reveals what ten years in medicine taught her and how that relates to her new career If you listen to the end, you will get some fantastic ideas to integrate into your study plan or job-hunting strategy. Plus, you'll find out the ideal music for a cesarean section.

🔗 Connect with Shona

⏰ Timestamps

Shona never thought she would code for a living, although she did play Neopets (02:13)
How Shona started coding because she wanted to solve a real-world work problem she had as a doctor (02:58)
Shona's career in medicine (05:48)
Community Break with Jan the Producer (09:55)
Why Shona eventually wanted to switch careers, and did it feel weird after dedicating so many years to medicine? (11:47)
What skills Shona learned as a doctor helped her become a developer? (14:01)
Doctors on TV vs. programmers on TV (14:55)
Learning to code on YouTube, and when does it become not enough? (15:46)
How Shona enrolled into a bootcamp (18:26)
Why did Shona feel like she needed to give coding a go? (21:35)
Quick-fire questions: Lo-fi Disney and the perfect music for a C-section (23:02)
Shona's new role in a health tech startup (26:03)
When did Shona feel ready to apply for jobs? (Also, her portfolio projects are amazing. )(27:26)
Shona's cold email that brought her a job (31:05)
Shona got hired without a tech interview (32:55)
Why unique projects are never a waste of time (33:55)
Start networking earlier than you think! (35:28)
How Scrimba podcast helped Shona with her career change (36:12)
How to deal with sunk cost fallacy (38:53)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

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