Career and Life Planning Guidebook for Medical Residents

Successful physicians also understand theywill be perpetual life long students to finding appropriate solutions for patients and care delivery. Engagement to CME’s and any training offered that focuses heavily on leadership along with clinical training. Top physician know that along with clinical knowledge, enhanced leadership skill sets can help one effectively manage cross collaboration and teamwork needed within an integrated system approach to care delivery. – Tara Gaugh, CPRP/Physician Recruitment Manager/ Southern Illinois Healthcare F I E L D N O T E S Revive your hobbies Many physicians had hobbies before medical school that went by the wayside while they trained. Now is a great time to take up those hobbies again! The life of a physician is very stressful. You will need outlets to burn off stress or to calm your nerves. You need things in your life that are fun and do not involve medicine. Hobbies are a key to destressing your life and eliminating burnout. What is it you like to do? I’m a musician. I brought music back into my life when I became an attending. I started playing on the worship team at church and joined a men’s quartet. It was a lot of fun, and it gave me something to do outside of medicine to help control my stress level. Don’t forget to have FUN! Go back and read the essay you wrote on your medical school application. Why did you want to become a physician? Was it so you could make a lot of money and live in a big house? I doubt it. Medicine is a great profession and you should strive to have a great time as a doctor. If you remember to have fun along the way, you will be ahead in preventing burnout. There will be tough times but you can get through them if you remember why you became a physician, find joy in your day, and be sure to take your loved ones along on the journey. There is no point in going through all this work and training to not enjoy the fruits of your labor. Life is a whole lot better if you are doing things that you enjoy, both at work and at home. Now it is time to throw your pebble into the lake and create the desired ripples with your first few steps as an attending. You’ve earned it. Now go get it. Become the attending you always dreamed you would be. SECTION III: T MINUS ONE YEAR CAREER AND LIFE PLANNING GUIDEBOOK FOR MEDICAL RESIDENTS 344