There’s an old saying that if you choose a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.
I am on the plane returning from my medical school biennial reunion in Baltimore and reflecting on the multiple generations I met, and the presentations I heard. Despite challenges being faced in how we will deliver care to our patients as well as train the next generation of providers and leaders, there was a uniformity of optimism among everyone who spoke. Perhaps it was self-selection – those who lead have developed the ability to see the bigger picture. Yet even among the medical and nursing students was an energy and enthusiasm that they could find the answers to the complexities we face. Over a few beers and crab cakes with my fellow surgeons, we shared war stories and recalled the days of traumas in the middle of the night and how our 36-hour shifts would fly by. There was an optimistic tone.
The story is not uniformly that happy. Burnout and disillusionment are endemic as increasing regulation and seemingly incongruous directives leave us feeling helpless. At my class dinner, we remembered those who were no longer with us, including some by suicide. When I counsel ACHE early careerists, I hear excitement and fear. They express concern about making a wrong decision in choosing their first job or if they are in the right field. Mid-careerists begin to feel that they are getting boxed into a specific track and that new opportunities are limited. And those of us with a few grey hairs reflect of what we’ve accomplished…and what we’ve left undone.
Yet when we look at those who have excelled, those who have triumphed after failure, and those who inspire, there are two consistent qualities -resilience and passion. In our own lives we are driven by core values and make choices based on what resonates. We learn how to deal with failure by observing it first in our parents or teachers, and later our mentors. The lucky among us find something that lights a fire and transforms tasks into steps toward a goal.
ACHE provides tools to better understand ourselves, our leadership styles, and our strengths. If you’re feeling unsure about your career or life, take the time for self-reflection, speak to others, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to get outside your comfort zone and find your passions.
Harry Sax, MD, FACHE
President
Health Care Executives of Southern California
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