Career and Life Planning Guidebook for Medical Residents

Recently, a community pediatrician retired. I have been interested in her advocacy work, so I used the opportunity to send her an email congratulating her on retirement and asking to meet her over coffee, lunch, or breakfast, specifically as a mentor. She was so thrilled, and I was so excited to absorb her passion and to brainstormwith her some future projects. Joannie Yeh, MD, Pediatrician http://md.careers/Kevinmdblog F I E L D N O T E S R E A D : Introduction To Success Networks Who Helps You Through Your Career Transition(s)? For many major milestones in our lives, we are recognized in a commencement ceremony. A commencement ceremony signifies both an ending and a beginning. Asyour trainingends, andyour post- residency career begins, you also begin the lifelong journey of career management. Few inflection points are as important in laying the foundation for both your career and life as this one. What do we mean when we say “career manage- ment?” Your career is composed of a series of professionalandpersonalpositionsanddecisions that youmust actively engage in to ensure alignment with your goals. With the constantly shifting healthcare landscape, new policies and practices will continue to create complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity that you must navigate. In addition, advances in research and technologywill impact both your current medical practice and your future opportunities. While your residency was structured and directed largely by others, going forward your career will be much more self-directed. This means that you are in charge; you are responsible for navigating this journey wisely. The more you are able to define clear career goals and to enlist others’ help in progressing towards these targets, the more likely you will be in achieving success. The relationships you form at work—among your colleagues, leaders, and support staff—and outside of work—with friends, family, and within your community—can be essential resources for this process. In moments when your objective seems difficult or even impossible, strong relationships are an essential resource in helping you navigate from where you are in your career to where you want to be. SECTION III: T MINUS ONE YEAR CAREER AND LIFE PLANNING GUIDEBOOK FOR MEDICAL RESIDENTS 390