What if you knew you wouldn't fail?

You've probably heard the phrase/question, "what would you do if you knew you wouldn't fail?"  I'd like to ask you that question in context of your career. What career would you pursue if you knew you wouldn't fail?

In the field of medicine, we may face barriers that go beyond fear. The biggest barrier is probably time. For instance, we know that in order to become a neurosurgeon, you must complete medical school and residency training. There's no way to overcome the barrier of time if you're not willing to invest time into your career.

Many physicians may wish to leave clinical medicine to pursue alternative careers in business, health information technology, and consulting. However, many of them don't know how to get started. They don't know how to make the career transition. They don't know if they need to invest time into an additional degree like an MBA. They're not sure what type of income they could generate if they left clinical medicine. They may be gripped with the fear of career failure. What if you knew that you wouldn't fail? What type of non-clinical career would you pursue?

I've had the opportunity to help many physicians work through these questions and it's been especially rewarding to see how people have been able to find new non-clinical opportunities. Some have applied their creativity into their new careers. Others now have a better work/life balance. If you're seriously thinking about a career change, make sure to speak with someone who can help you through some of those difficult questions. Find a mentor. Speak with others who have made the transition.