Those who pursue a career in the healthcare field are intrinsically drawn to the opportunity to make a true difference in the world. And for many, that path doesn’t always follow the traditional route. There’s a myriad of reasons why physicians opt out of finishing their residency program and instead choose to traverse alternative routes. While it may not have been your original plan, traveling this road can prove to be a fulfilling, lucrative, and successful career choice. Here’s why.
1. Specialty Choice: Did you always envision yourself becoming a general surgeon one day? That is, until you were thrown into the gauntlet and gained a real perspective of what daily life in that role would look like? Rest assured, this happens more frequently than one might assume. According to a 2018 JAMA study, over 7% of second-year residents regret their specialty choice. Specialties with the highest reported levels of regret include pathology (32.7%), anesthesiology (20.6%), general surgery (19.1%), neurology (17.4%), and psychiatry (16.9%). The good news? You have the ability to pivot and pursue another career path more aligned with your goals and aspirations.
2. Burnout: Late nights, arduous exams, and years of undergraduate and graduate work can become physically and mentally exhausting! Not to mention the hours of monotonous and administrative tasks that need to be completed. Burnout is a very real and pressing issue plaguing the medical field, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a lack of sense of personal accomplishment. This can hinder personal and professional success and satisfaction, causing unhappiness both in and out of the workplace.
3. Work-Life Balance: Spending hours in medical school doesn’t leave much room for participating in and enjoying other facets of your life that bring you joy. Whether your life took an unanticipated turn or you simply want more time to attend weddings, birthdays, and family events, you can continue pursuing a career in healthcare without sacrificing your work-life balance.
Why Become a Wound Care Physician?
Becoming a wound care physician provides you with the opportunity to apply your clinical skills and practice hands-on, meaningful work. Additionally, you’ll reap the benefits of schedule flexibility and personal freedom. Wound care physicians typically work set, regular hours without nights or weekends and are never on call. They have a wonderful work-life balance with ample free time to spend with loved ones and also have high professional satisfaction levels.
A meaningful medical career is possible even if you don’t complete your residency. It may even give you more purpose and work-life balance than you could have dreamed of. Life does happen and plans do change and sometimes we need to make new choices that fit our life better. Not finishing your residency program may just be the best choice for you at this time in your career. Try something new and start the career and life you always wanted as a wound care physician.
Learn more about our new “Not Finished Residency” program here.
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