You and I can’t always choose how or when to leave a job. And sometimes life isn’t fair. The point is that today, considering the legacy you’re about to leave behind [at your current workplace], you honor the people you’ve worked beside and the patients you’ve served.

A message from the Editor-in-Chief, Concierge Medicine Today

A Sept. 3, 2024, MGMA Stat poll found that 27% of medical groups report having a physician leave or retire early in 2024 due to burnout, compared to 68% that did not and 5% reporting “unsure.” Even more interesting is that a larger percentage of physicians in another survey expressed a likelihood of leaving their current position within the next few years, with some studies showing up to 35% considering a departure.

Whether you’re contemplating a leap into the world of concierge medicine or just daydreaming about your dream job, here are three simple questions you should consider if and when you decide to make a big move in your career!

But before we spotlight those questions, we should pause for just a minute and talk about the legacy you’re leaving behind—the people and patients you’ve served along the way. Physicians leave organizations every day and continue to do amazing things. And when you end a job or a position at a hospital or practice where you’ve worked well, that’s part of your legacy, too. Legacy isn’t just about the end of your career or estate planning.

You and I can’t always choose how or when to leave your job. And sometimes life isn’t fair. The point is that today, considering the legacy you’re about to leave behind, honor the people you’ve worked beside and the patients you’ve served. Legacy, as we’re discussing it today, isn’t something you should ignore because you got your feelings hurt or emotions are getting the best of you. Ignoring your legacy has the potential to undermine the life that you’ve lived and the gifts that you’ve given to the patients you’ve served, the colleagues you’ve worked next to all these years, and the opportunities you’ve given other people. So yeah, this a big deal. So asking these questions and really thinking about your legacy and who and what you’re leaving behind is an important conversation with the people around you right now.

• Who can you turn to for guidance?
  • We all recognize the value of sound advice intellectually but it's crucial to seek counsel from individuals within your network who won’t simply tell you what you want to hear but rather will support and guide you in making critical decisions and help you identify your blind spots. Think about creating a list of these people and reach out to them. Consider taking them out for lunch and telling them beforehand what you’d like to discuss. This will shorten the pleasantries and help shortcut the discussion around your primary concerns about a job transition.

• How much time will it take to heal the emotional and psychological wounds of the past workplace experience? 
  • Emotions often play a pivotal role in our decision-making. However, what will happen in six months when you discover that the new job has its own set of dysfunctional workplace issues? Allow yourself time to heal from the weight of the last workplace experience. There’s nothing worse than finding yourself a decade from now (or perhaps retired) and still traumatized by the same set of emotional wounds you never allowed to properly treat years ago.

• Will you take a leap or build a runway?
  • Financial concerns are not always the primary factor when it comes to changing careers or jobs. Often, it’s about better hours, a supportive boss, or more family time. Many physicians contemplating career transitions tend to overlook the “what if” questions: What if this doesn’t work out? What if I don’t enjoy the area? The list can be endless. When seeking career advice from trusted individuals, be cautious of platitudes. These can create a misleading sense of confidence. For instance, when you share your story, some may advise you to “Just take a leap of faith.” But where is your parachute? What does your financial runway look like if it doesn’t pan out? Others might suggest, “If you build it, they will come.” While these statements may hold some truth, they often lack a foundation in reality. If your next career move doesn’t succeed, what will you stand to lose? What are your exit strategies? How long is the contract? Who will be your actual boss?

At the end of day, you and I, the colleagues you know, your friends and associates, we all have something in common. That is the unfortunate reality that we will not be remembered necessarily for our finest hours, but our final hours. That’s very sobering for all of us and the reason why we’re so passionate and repetitive about our mission – and that is to be FOR Doctors. Because at the end of the day it’s no longer about being the best Doctor in the world anymore, it’s about being the best Doctor FOR the world, FOR your patients and FOR your local community.

Bonus: Here are the five books we encourage any Physician to read if you’re in a season of career transition.

1. “What To Do Next: Taking Your Best Step When Life Is Uncertain” by Jeff Henderson (Author)
2. “Necessary Endings” by Henry Cloud
3. “The Doctor’s Guide to Concierge Medicine” by Concierge Medicine Today (Author)
4. “Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow’s Success” by John C. Maxwell (Author)
5. The EntreMD Method:A Proven Roadmap for Doctors Who Want to Live Life and Practice Medicine on Their Terms” by Nneka Unachukwu