Start here if you’re contemplating a career beyond clinic (or lab!)
This blog has one purpose: empowering clinicians (and scientists!) to scale your impact by introducing ways to grow careers beyond clinic
KEY TAKEAWAYS from Next Degree:
Question: What types of healthcare pivots beyond clinic exist?
Outcome: Literally, hundreds, if not thousands.
Specific Pivot(s): Role, Industry, Geography
Additional Resources: “Profiles in Leadership” podcast by Steve Anderson, PT
Relevance: A thorough catalog of clinical and non-clinical leaders on their professional journeys and destinations
Final Thoughts: Learn in detail from those that have already accomplished growth beyond the clinic to help inspire and focus your own pivot beyond clinic
Though this is the start of a journey, I assure you: many clinicians have accomplished what you’re considering…and you will too. Learn about their journeys and destinations to decide if growing beyond the clinic is right for you.
Do I really want to move beyond the walls of my clinic? This question is often the starting point of an exceptional journey — and one that strikes fear into many clinicians who’ve worked so hard to enter healthcare practice.
It’s amazing to examine the ripple effect of seemingly benign occurrences — small conversations often lead to big changes, and we don’t often realize this until after the big change occurs. Looking back, advice I got in elementary school formed the crux of many life decisions I would subsequently face later on:
Chances are, someone smarter than you has already encountered the same problem, solved it, and written a book about it. So, instead of beating your head against the wall, just go learn how they did it and adapt it.
In the age of the internet, podcasts are an amazing source of inspiration; good podcast hosts find interesting guests and, thanks to the wonders of platforms like Spotify, these insights are at your fingertips, for free, and can be leveraged during the most mundane tasks. That long drive to work? Perfect. Getting a few miles in on the treadmill? Ideal. Cooking dinner for that special someone? Another perfect opportunity.
I’m going to be really honest — clinicians don’t realize that there are, literally, TONS of opportunities out there to grow beyond the clinic. Full stop. Whether you’re a physician, nurse, physical or occupational therapist, chiropractor, nurse, or any other number of specialist healthcare professions, there is a world of opportunity out there for you.
So, the first step is, what are some different types of opportunities that appeal to you?
I highly recommend the “Profiles in Leadership” podcast by Steve Anderson, a veteran physical therapist, for two reasons:
First, the variety of guests are amazing. I personally recommend Mia Gonzales Dean (a PT turned executive at Penn Medicine turned MedTech entrepeneur), Lt. Col. Drew Contreras (a military performance PT, former President Obama’s personal physical therapist while in office, and expert on PT education and innovation), Pepper Burruss (the legendary Green Bay Packers Athletic Trainer), and former US Senator Tom Daschle as personal favourites that helped inspire my personal transition out of clinic. Learning about so many potential destinations for clinicians, from the perspectives of clinicians and non-clinicians alike, was instrumental in giving me the courage to attempt to grow beyond the confines of a traditional clinical career.
Second, I get the feeling that Steve is “one of us” — a clinician who roadmapped and executed a variety of different pivots out of clinic that weren’t always linear or pre-planned. Specifically, he took the traditional route of growing a string of physical therapy clinics into a regional powerhouse (Therapeutic Associates), then transitioned into Podcasting and Executive Coaching. But, beyond the personal growth, I just find it really helpful to hear the types of questions he asks clinical and non-clinical guests; they are relatable, simple, and just generally really thought provoking considering the range of guests he includes on his podcast.
A piece of advice: don’t reinvent the wheel in your search for growth and pivoting beyond clinical care. Learn from those that came before us; often, exceptional leaders are open about their mistakes in an effort to help others prevent making the same ones.
Go get inspired!
Considering a growth pivot beyond clinical care, but don’t know where that could end up? Check out Next Degree — there’s a huge world of opportunity out there for clinicians in HealthTech, BioTech, MedTech, and beyond.
