Some of my most painful memories stem from the many goodbyes I’ve endured – leaving Zimbabwe after 3 glorious years in rural practice, leaving my home country South Africa to move to the US, leaving my family practice after 9 years, amongst others. Some farewells have been lightened by the promise of exciting new things to come, others weighed down by the circumstances prompting the separation.A couple of weeks ago, I tracked a physician conversation thread on a discussion board. A tired, embittered physician who planned to quit an … [Read more...]
An entrepreneurial physician’s road to success is paved with doing one’s homework
How long does one have to be a practicing physician before it becomes obvious that a clinical career isn't the right line of work to be in? I guess it depends. In Mike McLaughlin MD's case, it didn't take long. This highly-trained plastic and hand surgeon suspected during even his residency that clinical practice wasn't his ideal job. Nevertheless, he persisted by going into practice long enough to confirm that his future professional happiness depended on quitting clinical practice. Guided by a relative who served as a business … [Read more...]
Dr Maggie Kozel on her journey into and out of medicine
As a formerly idealistic pediatrician whose eventual disappointment in clinical practice led to her leaving medicine altogether, Maggie Kozel MD has put into words what I felt about being a practicing physician and have been unable to express adequately! Dr Kozel's newly released memoir, "The Color of Atmosphere - One Doctor's Journey Into and Out of Medicine" (reviewed here) provides a poignant look into the aspirations of a young woman who found the perfect escape from her dysfunctional household - Medicine. After life as a doctor in the … [Read more...]
Does physician coaching have any value?
Physicians are smart well-trained professionals who are not in the habit of asking for help. They're accustomed to being viewed as the problem-solvers rather than the seekers of advice or assistance. So why would they consider physician coaching? A recent article in the Physician Executive (Nov-Dec 2010) makes the case for physician coaching by examining the results that have been documented in other industries using executive coaching to develop their folks. Reporting results such as: increased productivity increased teamwork improved working … [Read more...]
One doctor quits medicine – Dr Maggie Kozel’s “The Color of Atmosphere”
I had the privilege of receiving from Chelsea Green Publishing a galley copy of Dr. Maggie Kozel's "The Color of Atmosphere: One Doctor's Journey In and Out of Medicine" prior to publication, and was finally able to sequester myself this weekend and read it. I had originally planned to "skim read" the chapters, to get the gist of the story and write a review. Instead, from the first chapter, beyond a typical blah-blah-blah introduction (you know, the kind that tells you all you need to know about the book's grand premise), I was … [Read more...]