I'm 26, a medical student, and graduating in May. I've found medicine to be a very frustrating field for me because I enjoy variety in my work and the ability finish a project. I strongly dislike the practice of medicine but I'm not sure how to intergrate my education with a new career that follows my interests in business.

-- Duke Joseph Ruktanonchai (dukeruk@yahoo.com), October 18, 2000

Answers

DJ the more you stress, the more you get frustrated the less your mind is going to be open to the possibilities around you.

I think instead of ploughing forward trying to connect the dots at the intersections of your medicine background with a potential career, you should pull back and first recognize that you already hold a major card when you graduate in May, your graduation. Graduation has to be your top priority right but its good that you are also taking a broader perspective about your life.

For me, it's just a matter of asking yourself how much you will achieve by thinking more and how much you will achieve by discovering more. I have firm belief that you will discover things your way rather than my way especially since you don't know who I am but you sure know who you are. You are your own personality, no one but you and those most closet to you know what's really going to be good for you, and no one but you knows your preferences, your goals, your ideas and taste you have on life, because those things have always been yours.

I could tell you to go to a library but it won't make a friggin difference, but whatever you tell yourself it should point you to obtaining information, that paints a picture for you. That information may come from phone calls to people in industries that have appeal for you, it may be a passenger on a train, it may be a junk mail coupon that comes through the door. If you don't prepare yourself to be attentive, your going to miss the clues that might help you decide. The key is relaxing, taking in a bigger view of the world, you may even hit on something you like just as easily when your not thinking about it.

I believe that the word decision means to "cut off", at some stage when you have let the world come to you and pick the fruits that most grab and excite you, then you got to some serious pruning. But you are not anywhere near decision time yet, so let it flow, suck life in and then see if you like taste that comes out of the filter.

Yes, I know this sounds wishy-washy but sometimes giving yourself permission to have enough space and air to think is much greater than AND and OR of logic.

Fast Company have also begun to offer a lot information about career strategies on their site, so there is plenty of mechanics of career choices you can go to eg

http://www.fastcompany.com/feature/00/act_corcazzani.html

And one more very important thing, all the best for next May and your graduation.

M. (Mark Zorro is a pseudonym I use on-line)

-- Mark Zorro (zorromark@consultant.com), October 19, 2000.

Duke,

I'm going to introduce you to a friend of mine -- a longtime worker in healthcare and medicine... and a coordinator of a Company of Friends group (the CoF is our readers network). You two might have some interests and ideas in common. And he might be able to help you navigate this next step.

Heath

-- Heath Row (heath@fastcompany.com), October 24, 2000.

Duke,

Heath Row of Fast Company told me of the quandary in which you find yourself. It is interesting that I was initially interested in pursuing a graduate degree in molecular bio in the late 70's, but ended up going into medicine. I worked as a research assistant in a Pathology department and decided that is where I should go. Why? For one, the variety. Medicine has allowed me to pursue many interests from research to patient care to running a small practice/business to start up of a physician network to organizational dynamics/culture in an integrated delivery system. As for finding a project oriented environment, I think that is possible. In pathology it is very possible in that every case I sign out is a small project. In clinical pathology the projects are more long term, but most often do have some closure. Look around medicine with a very open view, don't limit yourself to the convential categories.

You express and interest in business. Take a look at www.acpe.org , the American College of Physician Executives. That may be one avenue, although most successful physician executives first establish credibility in clinical medicine. Also ask yourself why you chose to go to medical school in the first place. There must have been something that attracted you. "Business" and "Medicine" are at a point of tension these days, and your interest in business and medical education might be just what an e-medicine startup or biotech firm is looking for. Good luck and congratulations! Feel free to contact me.

-- Vann Schaffner (vann.schaffner@lovelace.com), October 24, 2000.