Sticking to Health Care

I gave my life to be the person I am. Was it worth it? - Richard Bach

Feeling burnt-out at your job? Can't figure out if your job still fulfills your personal goals? Questioning whether you should leave health care altogether? Dont close the door yet - finding a satisfying new career might mean a move down the hall rather than across town. People in health care can - and do - change careers, either across clinical specialties or between clinical and administrative disciplines. Some professionals even combine the two, keeping their skills sharp and their management abilities grounded in the realities of their field. Health care is becoming increasingly complex, says Robert Field, PhD, MPH, JD, director of the Health Policy Program and associate professor of health policy at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. But, it is this complexity that opens new opportunities for people wishing to expand their career - especially into management and administration. To help you know what to look for when considering a change, ADVANCE offers some advice for people contemplating shifting careers within health care. How to Get Started A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. When making a career change, the first step is to map out your journey. Changing your job specialty "may take some creativity," warns Dr Field. He continues with a suggestion to "look for mentors who have done it before." Even if the individual isn't in your field, you can learn from their experience. Along with this, a plan on how to combine different disciplines can be a powerful career enhancement tool, Dr. Field affirms. Before combining talents, though, people need to examine some basic questions. What are the responsibilities of the new job? Be certain you can cope with the different demands of this career. What is the career satisfaction of people who have followed a similar path? "Talk to people who've done similar things to make sure that youll be happy with where you can go," Dr. Field says. What earnings potential and flexibility does the new discipline provide? Being tied into one narrow job can be risky as the industry changes, warns Dr. Field. What temperament is required? Entering a new field requires testing yourself more in different areas, says Daniel J. Ryan, PhD, director of Career Planning and Placement at the University at Buffalo. If possible, spend some time 'shadowing' somebody already in the prospective profession, Dr. Ryan suggests. Even if you think you understand the job duties, spending time with someone in the position can provide a fuller picture and highlight aspects that might not get a lot of exposure. Schools are gearing up for the challenge too, supporting and creating programs to help people with these transitions. People moving from clinical to management commonly chose programs in health administration and health policy, Dr. Field says. Continuing education programs can be valuable tools towards making a career shift. Familiarize yourself with your company's education benefits and see how they can help you meet your goals. New Benefits Changing careers within health care can offer many professional rewards. We've listed a few here for you to think about while considering your switch. People switching careers within health care often bring with them a new perspective, which can be helpful and refreshing to other employees. A fresh view on old problems can help move the field along, Dr. Ryan asserts. This dynamic tension in viewpoints can also be a challenge on both sides, he adds. Health care is more interdisciplinary, Dr. Field states, with conditions cutting across traditional specialty boundaries. "Prevention is becoming more important," he continues, "and that is a matter of the whole person, not just specific systems." Combining clinical specialties can make an individual more appealing to potential employers as well. These employees are trained to see things from different perspectives and tend to have more maturity, Dr. Field suggests. As well, the challenge of a new career brings with it a new energy level, says Dr. Ryan. Sometimes people get burnt out doing the same thing and new challenges can give workers renewed energy. Special Challenges For people who have been in a field for a long time, the switch to a new field offers not only new benefits but a unique set of challenges as well. After years of familiarity in a job, a new career means a new learning curve. Sometimes, "when you know how to use a hammer, everything looks like a nail," says Dr. Ryan about meshing new and former disciplines. While bringing a fresh perspective to the new field can be beneficial, people changing careers need to be careful not to look at everything from their old perspective. Just as new job responsibilities bring new questions, salary changes aren't always clear, Dr. Field says. Starting out at the beginning of your new career may provide less pay. On the other hand, he counters, many management and business tracks are more lucrative than clinical tracks "so you're not going all the way back to where you had started." Many clinicians entering management and business tracks often continue clinical work with their management duties. Balancing duties means decreased risk and less potential for financial sacrifice, Dr. Field says, and creates the opportunity to stay current in the field. Starting in a new field also means losing the seniority gained in the old profession; a change may mean you have to work hard at moving up the professional ladder. Do More of What You Love If you find yourself questioning your place in your current specialty, take the time to look at what you like - and don't like - about a typical day of work. Are there some types of tasks you enjoy more than others? Can you recall a particular patient or challenge that motivated and inspired you? You can begin your career search by taking a closer at the people around you. People often consider a new career because they've had exposure to it, explains Dr. Ryan. If you have an interest in a new career path, and see financial and professional growth in other areas of health care, you might find yourself ready to change your focus. Changing your specialty can mean advancing yourself while maintaining the environment you love and getting back in touch with the reason you entered health care in the first place. After carefully reviewing how a career change will affect you personally and professionally, youre ready for this undertaking. Nicole Benkert is on staff at ADVANCE.