Pondering my future

• I’ve been doing a lot of career thinking these days and just general life planning too. Well “planning” may be a bit of a strong word because it’s not like I’ve arrived at any conclusions but there’s a lot of info/opinions/thoughts rolling around in my brain that I’m mulling over. On Friday morning, I had the chance to talk to a wise physician for a few minutes about my career path. He listened to me reflect on some of the pros and cons of family medicine and oncology. He gave me some good advice which I’ll add to the random tidbits floating around in my head. Here it is:

• When I spoke of my love of variety and interest in many things at a shallow level, he challenged me to explore some things more deeply, saying that it acts like the nutrition for your practice. That by exploring something deeply, you move beyond your preconceived notions or judgements and develop a whole new appreciation/understanding of that issue from many different angles.
• When I spoke of my desire to use my management background and maybe do administration, he talked about further developing my ability to be a “detached observer” - saying that is a key trait in being a good leader. And to think beyond administration but to leadership.
• When I spoke of the things that drew me to medicine and that attract me to the areas in which I may practice, he told me that it is when he is most content and enjoying “the moment” in his work that he questions the source of that comfort. Is he enjoying the unique power relationship he enjoys in being able to help that person? Is he just enjoying the social interaction of the moment? Is what he doing in that moment helping to make the world a better place? Because if it’s not, then it’s not enough.

• I found him to be quite an inspiration. In his interactions with patients, he pays equal attention to the person and the disease. He hones in on their feelings and tries to empower them to make the right decision for themselves, and not, for instance, take a treatment because they think that’s what he wants them to do. He is acutely aware of the influence that he has on people and their personal health decisions and he treats that relationship and power with the respect it deserves. A great role model with some good food for thought. The advice that he gave me was far more valuable than anything he could have told me about oncology. But like all good advice, he wasn’t telling me what to do. And while at times it’s frustrating that someone can’t just tell me the perfect answer of what to do that will be the “eureka” I’m looking for – I realize that I actually don’t want that. Because I’ll only be content by figuring it out for myself and , as they say in business, that’s not something that I can “outsource”.