New Horizons

🌱 Where You Start Is Not Where You Should Finish

My advice to you: don’t take a job at the place where you trained. Many people decide to stay on as faculty or work at the hospital where they completed their training. While this choice might feel easier, more comfortable, and convenient, staying put can mean missing out on new opportunities, fresh connections, and stimulating challenges.

💡 Growth Comes From Discomfort

I moved over 1,000 miles away from where I trained. The culture is different, the people are different, and the experiences are entirely new. This forced me to adapt and grow in my new environment while embracing discomfort.

The byproduct of this process? Resilience, confidence, and resourcefulness. I took what I learned during my training as a solid foundation and continued to shape and refine it to meet the demands of my current role. Taking an attending position outside of your residency’s radius will expose you to how things are done in other places, giving you new perspectives and teaching you more about yourself than staying in your comfort zone ever could.

🌦️ It’s Not All Rainbows

Starting work at a new hospital or clinic comes with its own set of challenges.

• Learning New Systems: Many workplaces have established systems and cultures that you’ll need to navigate. While the systems themselves are usually straightforward, the culture can be trickier.

• Adapting to New Norms: You might find yourself frustrated by how things are done, especially if you’ve seen more efficient ways in your previous experience. It can be tempting to try to implement change, but you may find resistance from colleagues who are comfortable with the status quo.

• Adjusting to New Tools: Transitioning to a brand-new EMR (Electronic Medical Record) system can be daunting and might temporarily slow your workflow.

As the title implies, it’s not all rainbows. But these challenges will make you stronger and more adaptable, even as they test your patience and perseverance.

🔍 New Perspectives

As medical professionals, practicing in different environments expands our repertoire of skills and problem-solving abilities. The more exposure we gain, the more we’re forced to adapt and grow.

A new environment means new conversations with new people, filled with fresh ideas that you might not encounter otherwise. While core physiology doesn’t change, the approaches to problem-solving can vary greatly from place to place and person to person. This is the art of medicine.

🌍 Closing Remarks

As someone who took a job far from where I trained, I can confidently say that this decision forced me to become more resourceful and creative. I’ve built relationships with people I would have never met if I had stayed close to my roots.

A seed can travel thousands of miles, but it will always carry the core foundation of its parent plant. The same is true for you. Take your foundation, venture out into the world, and let the challenges and new experiences help you grow into your best self.

A.K,MD