The Doctor's Crossing Carpe Diem Podcast

Episode #232: You Don't Need the Perfect Plan: How Trying Things Out Can Lead to a Better Career

Oct 29, 2025

Dr. Sonia Millan, a board-certified family medicine physician and former white-water rafting guide, shares her journey from clinical practice to a fulfilling role in utilization management. She emphasizes the importance of experimentation and adaptability in finding career satisfaction. Sonia discusses how losing autonomy led her to explore various nonclinical roles and ultimately discover her dream job, aided by her 'lunch litmus test' for workplace culture. Her advice encourages clinicians to embrace uncertainty and pursue curiosity for career clarity.

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ANECDOTE

Rafting Taught Rapid Pivoting

Sonia left college medicine ambitions and spent eight years as a professional whitewater rafting guide before returning to medicine.
The rafting experience taught her rapid pivoting and reading the environment under pressure.

INSIGHT

Autonomy Loss Sparks Career Pivot

Sonia's dissatisfaction began when a community-hospital feel eroded as the larger system centralized control.
Loss of autonomy and system-driven changes to patient care prompted her to pivot away from that clinical role.

ADVICE

Experiment To Find The Right Fit

Try short experiments across different nonclinical roles to discover what fits.
Sonia tested patient advocacy, chart review, and telehealth roles and used each to refine her priorities.

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Have you ever felt the soul of your workplace—the sense of connection, purpose, and community—start to fade? That's exactly what happened to Dr. Sonia Millan, a board-certified family medicine physician with additional certifications in sports and lifestyle medicine. When her autonomy dwindled and joy disappeared, she knew it was time to make a change.

Instead of leaping into the unknown with one perfect plan, Sonia earned what she calls her "honorary master's in pivotry." She experimented, explored, and stayed curious—trying everything from chart review and patient advocacy to IRB work and prison-system audits. Some paths fit, others didn't, but each step brought her closer to a career she truly loves. And here's the twist: the job she once thought she'd never enjoy is now her 10-out-of-10 dream role.

Her journey is a powerful reminder that clarity doesn't come from waiting for the perfect plan—it comes from moving, experimenting, and letting go of what's not for you.

In this episode we're talking about:

How losing autonomy in clinical practice led Sonia to explore new possibilities
The mindset shift that helped her turn uncertainty into opportunity
Unexpected lessons she learned from eight years as a white-water rafting guide
How she tested different nonclinical paths (and what she learned from each one)
What changed her mind about her current role and why she now loves it
How curiosity, intuition, and her "lunch litmus test" helped her find her ideal fit
The spiritual practice that keeps her grounded.

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🌟 Private 1:1 Consultations - If you would like some confidential help with your career situation, I offer an hour-long paid consultation via Zoom. This session may be all that you need to gain clarity and have some steps for moving forward. If after this consultation you prefer additional support, there is the option of doing one of my coaching programs (subject to availability). For more information including pricing please reach out to Kati at team@doctorscrossing.com.