Sept 22, 2015 | Payal Kohli, MD and Ravi Hira, MD
Career Development

In our last post (see Related Resources, below), we discussed the preliminary steps to brainstorming what type of job and the type of practice setting you picture yourself in. By this time of the year, you have probably had time to reflect on that and come up with clearer plan. Hopefully, you have had a chance to meet with some advisors or mentors who have started you on the right path.

While going through this process, one important piece of advice that I received is to “leave behind your baggage.” While starting this new journey, the positive and negative experiences you have had along the way can very easily influence your career goals and ambitions. For example, if you were particularly close to a specific mentor who is an academic cardiologist, you may naturally be drawn toward that career path. Conversely, if you had a negative experience interacting with a private practice doctor, you may find yourself rejecting that option altogether. I would strongly caution against such quick judgments, as they may have a lasting impact on your career path.

For the first time ever, we are staring at a blank canvas before us. Gripped by the instinct of wanting to act quickly (perhaps before the jobs “run out”), we may be hasty in selecting a particular strategy. However, now is the time to be deliberate, because the first job sets the tone for the rest of your career.

In addition, allow the interview process itself to be a happy, pleasurable experience, in which you enjoy the results of your hard work and the recruitment process – a luxury rarely afforded in the medical profession.

Last July, I found myself with a broken leg and a desire -- driven mostly by fear not finding a job – to interview in as many places as possible. I proceeded to fly all over the country on my crutches, finding myself miserable at every interview, counting down the minutes until I could return to my hotel room to rest my leg.

In retrospect, those three months would have been a perfect time to do my homework and some “soul-searching”. If I had done this careful reflection, I may not have nearly as many interviews. I feared that desirable jobs were a finite commodity that may have disappeared if I delayed to act.

What I discovered later in the year was that those colleagues of mine who took their time and interviewed far into spring found themselves in beneficial positions. They were able to take advantage of the many great opportunities that came about at the last minute and needed to be filled immediately. With most of us early birds already committed, these colleagues had their pick of choices.

I will leave you with this list of advice: Remain thoughtful about the next stage in your career; take time to research your options before scheduling interviews; and remember to keep your career goals and ambitions in mind as you interview for positions. This advice will help you avoid “interview burnout” and make the job search a more enjoyable experience.

Related Resource

• Charting a New Course

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This post is part of a series focused on career development for fellows in training (FITs), authored by Payal Kohli, MD, attending cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Denver, CO, and Ravi Hira, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Washington, Seattle.