I firmly believe that 50% of doctors would have left their profession if they were not trapped financially and had the 'stones' to be honest with themselves.
Hi Bart, it's definitely not easy. I don't believe anyone is trapped though! Scared, yes, but there are always options. The hardest part is finding your truth and going after it. It's something I work on every day.
They chose the wrong career field. Physician burnout is real. But that happens later 10-15 years in clinical practice. At 30 years old you have barely finished residency or are in residency or fellowship you’re not even an attending yet so if you’re leaving at that stage you clearly chose the wrong career field because it hasn’t gotten fun yet, it hasn’t gotten hard, you’ve not done anything in medicine if you’re leaving at 30. You don’t know what you don’t know… you’re making a decision blind. You have no idea what kind of doctor you will be at 30 years old.
@@franciscofletes1948 Fair enough and I agree with you, but the issue is that medicine IS A HUGE commitment of time, resources and effort. I plan to continue medicine because I appreciate it all at the end of the day. If you aren't happy doing it most of the time, there will never be a good time to leave. There's always a new board exam, protocol or adjustment that doctors must adjust to. That means that while you are never done learning, you MUST be passionate or you'll be miserable. Why? Cause "it" NEVER ends. There's always so much responsibility involved. You are always counted on and expectations are sky high. Many unhappy doctors stay due to those relationships and the fear of letting others down MORE than true passion. I doubt the deeply passionate get truly burnt out.
@@Tripps2564 internship and residency are very regressive. Extremely intelligent and accomplished people are infantilized, made to feel as if they know nothing, the work they put in to the profession doesn’t seem to matter much, most of the people in the healthcare team seem to be appreciated and compensated more than medical students interns and residents. This can be very frustrating for a young doctor. I think it’s a big mistake to make the decision to leave medicine during that stage. There are too many artificial confounding variables during residency that are not representative of what a life in medicine is truly like as an attending
@@franciscofletes1948 Um…if she’s not happy being a doctor, then it’s that simple…she’s just not happy. Don’t use YOUR OPINION to make others feel bad about the decisions they make to reach their happy place in life. I mean let’s get into the nitty-gritty of things, medicine is not as glorious as people make it out to be. Medicine can be very nasty to an extent. You deal with a lot of bodily fluids and nasty diseases; not everyone enjoy being around that constantly. The things you learn in medical school labs is not the same thing you experience once you’re in rotations, residency, or outside of that. As I stated, not everyone enjoys being in certain environment, and if leaving medicine is the best decision she can make for HER LIFE then let it be.
I am a doctor and I also want to change my career. I feel like I'm in a terrible relationship and that I have given so many chances to my career and now it's time to move forward. I don't recognise myself anymore, i have no joy whatsoever in showing up to work. After studying so much i thought that I should still try, so I moved to another country (in the idea that working in a better medical system would make me happy), I tried teaching (my current job is teaching medical students) but I still feel like it's a punishment to go to work. I admire doctors and teachers with all my heart but it is time to accept it's not for me. I've always been fascinated by numbers, that you can rely on them. At the moment I'm starting to consider a career in data analysis. I am terrified of the thought that I have to start all over again. But today, on my way to work, I tried to visualise myself outside the medical career and I felt happy and hopeful. That's when I knew that it's finally time to do something about it.
Hi Danielle, here for you. It seems like you really have put a lot of thought and consideration into this, and it's completely normal to be scared of doing something that's outside of what you know. With any big decision, I find it helpful to use the rocking chair theory. When I'm old and sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, what will I regret? What will I be proud of? I know I'd rather try something and learn from the experience than regret not doing anything at all.
Hi Danielle. I am a Doctor and I am also going into data science. The system in my country sucks but I know that even with a better system it is not worth doing unless you are looking to help people. Thats the only way it makes sense. Otherwise it's not a normal career. It isnt rewarding if you dont like that part of the job
@@supreetsingh6038 Hello dear, I am a general Surgeon spent almost 25 yrs in my field. During these yrs i kept pushing myself to continue as surgeon though at a low profile. It was all very tense time. Now due to certain health issues it became very torturing for me to continue as surgeon. Kindly guide and suggest me how to take myself into an alternative field of digital health. Thanks in advance
Hello dear, I am a general Surgeon spent almost 25 yrs in my field. During these yrs i kept pushing myself to continue as surgeon though at a low profile. It was all very tense time. Now due to certain health issues it became very torturing for me to continue as surgeon. Kindly guide and suggest me how to take myself into an alternative field of digital health. Thanks in advance
I was an internist and left medicine 5 years ago at age 30. I miss working with patients and their families sometimes, but do NOT regret for a second my decision. Doctors are put on pedestals often, and people call you crazy- but I find most people admire and respect my decision. I am healthy, happy, and actually love myself now. Living a very fulfilled, rewarding life while still helping others and contributing to this world. Lots of ways to do it. 👏👏👏 I applaud your courage, and wish you the best!
Thank you for sharing the inspirational words, Alison! I couldn't agree with you more. I miss working with patients but I also do not regret my decision and have never been happier. Would love to connect with you to hear more about your story and wishing you all the best as well!
Well done for making a decision that was right and healthy for you. I left my nursing career at 30 and currently studying a masters of teaching. It's all about living a life that is authentic to you. Sending good vibes x
It's a shame, isn't it? There are problems with the system which need to be addressed. Where has your journey led you? WIsh you all the best in everything :)
I’m a month away from finishing my clinicals and I’m already looking for other career options. It’s tough coming this far only to realize this is not what I want my life to be like.
I was a practicing family physician in the USA for 9 years (2005-2014). My story is very long, but the main reason I quit is because I hated the patients and their drug seeking behaviour. Almost 70% of my patients wanted some drug from me: Vicodin, Soma, Xanax, Promethazine with Codeine etc etc. I felt like I was a drug dealer rather than a physician. I am happy now with my own internet business.
Time and money invested in anything should never be an obatruction for change. It's not wasted time but lessons that were meant for you. Wishing you well for the future and thank you for sharing.
Watching this video honestly brought tears to my eyes! I’m a recent med school graduate and honestly I still don’t know if being a doctor is for me. I was so passionate about fashion in highschool but life took me to med school lol. And overtime i lost my passion in fashion or anything artsy . Like you said i enjoy the part about making patients feel comfortable making them understand their situations, but I don’t feel well mentally and I don’t know if it’s a mistake for me to pivot to something else. At this point i really don’t know what to pursue anymore.
Hi Husna, that's so awesome that you have a passion for fashion! I've always loved fashion as well and believe that we should pursue things we are passionate about. I believe it's better to try and fail than to live life with regret. Your mind and body are in the flow state when you're doing something creative that you love, so I hope you get to try it! I know it may be scary right now, but fear is the killer of dreams and what holds people back from realizing their potential. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to chat. You can message me on Instagram @drlemd
Im 23 and I just dropped out of Dental school after 3 years of studying.. I had 3 more years left at least and i just couldnt see myself doing this for even the next 9 months.. Ive never felt so miserable . Before uni i had a social life, relationship, time for myself in general and ever since i got in dental school all i did was study and go to lectures, i broke up my 2 year relationship, lost a lot of weight (this is not a good thing for me because i was already skinny) and honeslty lost my identity. And the worst part was i was in a state university so the professors treated us like garbage and to be honest i dont think i learned anything valuable from them. All i know i from the books ive read and tutorials ive watched. It felt like im just paying to get a diploma but im doing everything myself while being disrespected. It was a horrible experience for me and i wish someone told me this before i even applied. Im now learning to code and im gonna move out from my country by next year. I know you uploaded this a year ago and i hope youre doing great now ! I just wanted to ask if you even stuggled with feelings of shame and guilt for quitting medicine and if you did how did you manage to get over that? After i quit i felt like im a faliure and i still kinda do when i think about it, even tho i know its not the end of the world if i dont become a doctor or dont finish something that i thought i want at that time.
I never saw pursuing medicine as time wasted because I've learned so much and met many amazing people who are still close to me today, so I don't feel shame or guilt. In fact, I felt empowered because I took a leap of faith based on a gut feeling that this was not the path for me and realized there are so many opportunities outside of traditional healthcare to make an impact!
Im crying watching this video. I can relate to all you’re saying. Im still “trapped” but I’m starting the journey to get out Today. Thank you for sharing your story
I feel very touched that you can relate. You should never feel trapped in what you are doing. There are options, and some people just need a break and return to medicine feeling great. I hope you find the path for you!
Currently in the same boat, I studied medicine under the influence that it would be fascinating and fulfilling as helping people is my thing, but I've been emotionally struggling to accept that in every setting both public and private there's limitations as to how much I can actually do for a patient, how much time I can spend with them, the meds we can give them due to the costs...getting called "innocent" by older colleagues and told "patients are lying to me" that have lost their spirit and treat patients like numbers...then the self doubt ..I'm tired, I'm soooo tired of all of it. I'm currently working at a health insurance company, and its been hell for me. I feel stuck here and Im at a point in which I don't care about helping people anymore, I just want to help myself for once and be happy. And that's exactly what I'm going to do. I signed myself up for a bootcamp course in programming, will be done in 6 months! Wish me luck! Thank you for your video, I genuinely appreciate it, you are not alone ❤
My cousins friend was a doctor for four to five years and she decided she didn’t want to be a doctor anymore. She quit and joined the United States Border Patrol. She’s stationed at the United States/Mexico Border in San Diego. She’s a supervisor for the San Diego Port now and she says she has absolutely no regrets leaving medicine.
Thank you for sharing this. I recently graduated from medical school, in the UK it's 6 years, and have made the difficult decision of taking a break from medicine/consider other career options due to poor mental health and not being sure of Medicine
Sorry to hear this, Sara. You're not alone. Many people in medicine struggle with mental health and you should be proud that you're taking the steps needed to care for yourself
@@noraaa8479 I'm so sorry that you're feeling this way. I hope you are able to get support for your mental health through GP/uni counselling/free services that you can self refer to. This situation you're in now/medical school will pass and won't be forever. Anyone whose gotten into medicine is smart ,capable and hard working and I believe you can succeed in another path if that is what you wish to do after medical school ❤ follow what you think is best for you/mental health/ financial well being and independence also. I know it's so hard when you feel trapped 😞 , take it one day and one thing a time and try to do things which you used to enjoy doing ❤
I’m a high school student looking into different career choices, and I’m ruling out the medical field. I don’t think i’d be happy in that environment, with the high, high stress. I’ve always found the human body interesting, but I wasn’t never really into paient care, or some of the other parts of the job. Plus, I don’t want to give up my youth for constant studying.
Finding your truth as early as possible and acting on it immediately is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Life is short. Follow your heart and do the things that align with your values. Not a lot of people can do this because it takes a lot of courage to look at yourself on the mirror.
Thank you, Anonymous. The more conversations I have with doctors, the more I understand how difficult this is for many. I believe that if you possess the work ethic, intelligence, discipline, and resilience necessary for a career in medicine, you can succeed in anything. I must acknowledge, however, that the medical profession offers job security and financial stability, which is not the case for many other paths.
Graduated Medical School....being honest with myself i hated being in the hospital all the damn time. Fuck what people say. I realized that im happier living life, being with loved ones instead of being stuck reviewing. Dont get me started about residency. If you're only after money thats not what medicine is about. You can make money trading. Im way more money than a neurosurgeon with the luxury of finnancial freedom. I trade crypto and stocks and do not regret it.
I admire people like yourself. Because i know the road you had to take into self discovery wasn’t easy. And such decisions requires a tremendous believes and trust in one’s abilities to tackle challenges of the future. I know it’s my second reply but honestly a few more words that i had to say.. I wish you all the best ♥️💪🏼
Thank you so much. It really means a lot to me. I had to learn to push myself to do things I'm scared of because I've realized the more action I take the less scary things are and the more confident I become. I wish you all the best as well!
Thank you for the support Mel :) I have to be honest though, it wasn't easy! There were definitely a few moments there when I felt like I had made a huge mistake...but luckily it worked out.
I’m actually in my third year of medschool. Last year i was lucky enough to get a tutor who keeps reminding us that medicine is not everything and that we can always restart no matter how long we’ve been through this dark hole. I’ve been considering on stopping since last year but i gave it another try this year as they say clinical years is totally different from preclinical. However, the thoughts came lingering in my mind again this year. i’ve never felt like a complete failure before medschool. Medicine makes me look like a complete idiot that what makes me lose interest in it. Hopefully its not too late to start everything all over again when most of my friends are already graduating, starting a job and my cohort is entering year 4. So my advise to younger teenagers high schoolers please consider think again before applying to medical school.
Thank you! I changed fields and this has been one of the decisions that haunted me. I left to go in Marketing and IT. When I announced it to my parents it was was frightening to everyone. It was like OK, she (me) will not have financial stability. At the time, IT was not knows as a high paying job like it is today. Let me tell you it was the Best decision I ever took. I'm at peace, I work from home make an excellent salary that I am extremely thankful for.
Amen....great video. She is telling the truth. MEDICINE is hard. It is mentally draining due to shear volume. If we could see less patients and give them 100%, then we would feel fulfilled. But an overpacked schedule...OMG!!!
Whatever path you go, do not trap yourself to guilt feelings. Ignore ruthless comments. I support and fully respect your brave decision. I find this video very therapeutic.
@@LeDammm No worries. I recently took the similar path after tons and tons of reflection and self doubt and reflection and self doubt. I thought I would regret after quiting but I feel so relieved. I am going to live life the way I want it and the way where I truly feel calm and happy and really don't give a damn about what other ppl think or all those social expectations. I am so glad I could come up with this realization to save myself before getting too old and have life full of regrets. Thank you for sharing your story and the world needs more brave ppl like you!
@@olivetree5670 That is truly inspiring and I'm so glad you're living a life that is authentic to you! I hope everyone can live like that, but you're right, it does take time and a lot of reflection!
I think the best decision is one that gives you hope for the future and things to look forward to. If it’s not the career you are in, like you said, you only have one life. It’s also your responsibility to take care of that one life you’ve been given. .
I think the best decision is one that gives you hope for the future and things to look forward to. If it’s not the career you are in, like you said, you only have one life. It’s also your responsibility to take care of that one life you’ve been given. .😊
Thanks for sharing! Your knowledge on medicine and treatment wont be wasted. It could be adapted to many technologies like an app for telemedecine. I'm sure the tech industry needs a person like you. Good luck :)
I’m also 30 and a Doctor, and I started to question my career path. Thank you for making this video. Can’t say that I know what to do. What advice could you give someone who’s just starting to have these thoughts?
30 is very young and you have so much life ahead of you! Don't be afraid to take a step back to re-evaluate what you want in life. I didn't know what to do initially when I first started to question medicine but writing down what is important to me and what gives me purpose and meaning gave me perspective on what I want to do. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions. You can DM me on IG @drlemd
@@LeDammm Thank you so much! I will definitely take your advice, I've already taken this month off to remove all distractions and see if this path sparks joy anymore within me. I will be contacting you on IG as well. Thanks again.
@@sanaa4661 You are so welcome. I'm glad you're taking a break for yourself. Medicine is a wonderful career but it's not an easy one. Look forward to speaking with you :)
Congratulations on your baldness. It is such a big decision to take. I went through the same process but I still couldn't decide what to do after leaving medicine. I had depression and because of my family pressures and because I saw all my class mates moving forward and making steps while I stand still.
Thank you, Taqwa. I understand it's not an easy position to be in and to be honest I had a few breakdowns along the way. All I know is that if you compare yourself to others you will never be happy because comparison is the thief of happiness! Focus on you and your journey. Remember, it's a process and you only fail by giving up. Take time for yourself and be kind to yourself. Figure out what it is that you want to do. It helped me to sit down and draw out my life vision and write down the steps to get there. It's your life so get creative! I'm here to help if you have any questions :)
Love your vulnerability. Thanks for speaking from the heart. I left my residency as well, which was a complicated situation too! You are doing much better things with your energy. Kudos in following your intuition!! 💖💖💖😚
This made me tear. Thank you for sharing your story. I could relate to everything you said and feel like I'm in a similar situation now. Thank you for making me feel comforted and more courageous to take a leap outside clinical medicine
Comments like this make it worth it to share my story as scary as it was for me to do so. Also realize you are not alone because I get so many messages like this. Plenty of opportunities outside of clinical practice to continue helping people :)
American healthcare is fully diseased, rotten and on its way to dying. This sudden surge of medical professionals leaving during the pandemic is really stemming from a completely broken system that was getting by in recent times on the backs of compassionate people who didn’t know any better back then. American healthcare is expensive from the cost of training various professions to the costs in producing the drugs we utilize. But whereas other businesses can charge whatever they want and supply and demand would work out the cost, in medicine, especially given the nature of taking care of people’s health and government involvement, it is tightly regulated. The manufacturer of the medical supplies and drugs can charge whatever they want and yet the hospital and clinicians are capped (with rules such as no reimbursement if re hospitalized within a month, even if it isn’t the providers fault). But think of a plumber on the other hand who can charge extra for taking late night calls (doctors can’t do that). Private insurance companies are what led to the beginning of the end with their bogus coding requirements and reimbursement rates and dictating health care. Of course they’re going to try to hold on to as much of their money as they can. The entire healthcare model revolves around how we can get reimbursed by insurance or the government (think ICD coding and documentation) NOT patient care. Throw in all the middle men who are involved in health care who only add more expense and not value (PBMs, many of the business analysts, etc.), non centralized emrs leading to more waste (redundant work ups, labs, procedures)and equally burning physicians out, and a lack of responsibility by the patient in their preventative care, in part due to complex socioeconomic issues in this country. From the doctors’ perspective, we work so hard for many years thinking and training as if we’ll get to then manage independently but instead majority of us are employed by large health entities who treat us as if we’re some low level employees and continuing to micromanage our every decision. Most of our salaries are not competitive as they should be considering the liabilities, the years of training tagged along with the educational/training expense, and don’t account for the hours we actually work whether taking night calls, holiday calls, extended hours…again if you chose to run any other business you could charge a fee for the work you’re actually doing. (Look at any car related expense and you’ll see fees for lesser things!) Once many of us saw how a sizable portion of American society truly cares for us HCWs (with their refusals to hear our request to initially socially distance then mask then vaccinate) along with hospitals,who view us as simply expendable work horses starting back when we didn’t have enough PPEs, plus COVID itself taking people out the work force is when everything started falling apart …docs need to take the nurses lead and go prn and reclaim the leverage and drive the market to our perceived worth. Docs need to unionize; the current major organizations have failed us as have the older docs here that let things crumble this way. Society and government will only recognize when all that’s left is low quality professionals just how badly we need to redo American healthcare- taking out useless middle men including private insurance co., setting fair costs from professional education, to equipment, drugs, liability costs, patient responsibility (ie you smoke you pay much more, or you aren’t actively managing your lifestyle disease whether htn, t2dm, hld, obesity, etc.) and restoring a work life balance for the employees especially those of us who have already sacrificed many years to get here…kudos to anyone who read to the end of this rant 🙏🏾
Dr. Dam, thank you for sharing!! very well spoken and genuine. I am a PGY1 who relates to every word you said- from the frustrations with the system to to the point about tech. It's always been a passion, every since trying to convince my father to buy apple stock some 13 years ago lol.. My main hinder is simply not having any actual tech experience. Regardless, I applaud you, and most realistically, will be following your footsteps. Best of luck on the rest of your journey!
Hi Le are you Vietnamese? After medical school I decide that I wanted to run a hospital and learn the business side of medicine. Got my MBA/MHA instead of going on to residency. I couldn’t be any happier with my choice ! I run oncology treatment center now. Thank you for sharing your experience
It's a hard decision, like a bitter-sweet divorce. I understand because I have been there, too. If you have a plan and work towards it, you'll be ok. Wishing you and anyone else making a career change the best of luck.
@@LeDammm I also created a vlog on my youtube channel recently about my transition to another field. Leaving medicine is not the end; it is just the beginning of something new. Anyways, I hope you enjoy my vlog ❤
Thanks for the video! I'm from the engineering side (human factors engineering + electrical engineering) and I want to improve health. For me, I felt tech has limits in helping and was agonizing if being a doctor would be better to help people.. Like without the medical knowledge it's hard to know if a system is going the right way. I know I can collab with doctors as studying medicine takes such a long time and huge money.. but I do feel medical knowledge is first before tech to solve healthcare problems that I'm wondering if I should change my career..
Hi Lee! The medical knowledge and experience are definitely valuable but if you can recruit smart and talented medical people for your team I believe you can still be very successful. You should focus on your strengths and hire your weaknesses. It's the team that makes the dream!
Thanks alot for this content am a final year medical student from Nigeria and I have come to realize from all my clinical rotation it's not really for me. I could legit relate to everything you said. I have intermidiate in skills in software development and am also looking to go into tech. What break my heart the most is medcine barely got transferable skill so like I feel like am starting my life from scratch 💔. Anyways I just came across Ur channel am I love Ur contents.
Thank you for the support! There are definitely skills from medicine that are transferable. You just have to know how to leverage them! I just made a video about this.
I am a doctor from India and agree strongly with the part about transferrable skills. I liked tech and business but decided to go with medicine and learn tech and business on my own. Now I want to change my career and have a lot of experience in blogging which would have helped me get another job IF ONLY my basic degree was something related to writing or tech rather than medicine
i am a pediatric resident. i have one month to go in my residancy which is my annual leave before the final exam. i had intense burnout. i was only working and sleeping. i was not working to live. i was living to work. two months ago was the oppertunity to apply for fellowship. i couldn't force myself to apply. and i missed the window. the exam is next month. and i haven't studied anything. my colleagues started studying 6 months ago. i would probably fail the exam. im not going to lie, i feel lost. as if i jumped off a fast moving train in a place i have no clue about. i have passive income that will keep me afloat until i figure out what else i can do in this place people call life.
I’m kind of in a similar position, I’m an intern and residency match is in a month and I failed my first exam and my second exam is in a couple of weeks everyone’s been studying for months but I can’t get myself to study I hate it I hate that I was pressured into a profession I absolutely hate. I’m just waiting for death to save me from this misery called life.
What was your frustration with medicine? I know you've said that medicine limited what you could do in taking care of your patients. Can you elaborate on that?
Thanks for sharing this, I was always passionate about tech and business but decided to have my basic career in medicine for the stability it provides. I am still trying to build some alternate income stream so I can quit for good. I am also very passionate about psychiatry but don’t know if I can stay in the system until I graduate, so that’s another reason for my uncertainty. I think another reason many people choose medicine, at least in some countries like mine (India) is because it’s a glamourised profession. Every parent wants their kid to be a doctor even when they have no interest in medicine whatsoever. Most of my friends who did medicine (and continue to do it and study further) didn’t come into it because they were passionate about it, but just because everyone told them it’s the best
A career in medicine is far from basic! However, I do understand your sentiments. I grew up thinking it would be the best career to financially support my family, but now that I've done other things outside of medicine, I see how many more opportunities there are.
Thank you for this video! You did an amazing job articulating your thought process of making big decisions. Life is beautiful and making decisions to adjust your passion and aligning your dream take a lot of courage.
I'm a 2nd year med student, and I'm thinking seriously about stopping and shifting my focus on writing and fashion,,, I still don't know how yo face my family as I know how disappointed they'd feel
Hello, take it from me. It doesn’t matter, how disappointed, angry, upset they will be. I have been wanting to leave since 2nd year of med school - my parents told me just to finish medical school I did. Then they said wait until you finish the foundation programme (step 1 of the junior doctor medical training that takes 2 years). I begged them to help me leave after my first year as a doctor - my depression getting worse each year I didn’t take the decision. 2nd year - I had burnout and started antidepressants. Returned after 2 months of leave -3rd year - suicide attempt. The longer you wait, the harder it gets. I had friends who either quit in medical school or finished the degree and found themselves other career avenues (I don’t know how they did this, I just know they are not doctors). Until recently my family was still expecting me to ‘get better and return’, I get chronic fatigue worsening whenever I am really depressed. 3 years without a job, they finally realise I don’t have it in me to go back - I am planning on going back to college, I am turning 32 this year. I’ve known I needed to leave since 23. It took more than 9 years and suicide attempt (they didn’t even stop expecting me to go back after this btw!) 9 years and my mental health no one else but I have to pay for or deal with.
Thank you for bravely sharing your experience in this platform. Glad to chance upon your video as I make one of the biggest decisions in my career. After watching this and reading the comments below, I realized that I'm not alone in this predicament and that there's nothing wrong with putting yourself first, even it means walking away from your dream. Now, I'm at that crossroad on which path to transition to and I hope I will discover a new passion where I can pour my heart into just like how you found your niche in health tech. Can you share some tips on how to find new career opportunities and broaden our choices? Thank you 🙂
Hi Yurika, I was scared to share my story and have been surprised and overwhelmed by how many people can relate. So many people have asked this very question, and it requires some self-exploration and research into your interests, passions, skills, and even what opportunities are available to you in your area. I recognize that in some countries, there are not as many opportunities to join pharma or health tech companies, but I do believe you can create opportunities wherever you are since most jobs are remote now!
I’m a nurse practitioner and have been in the nursing profession for 20 years. I am currently working on my exit strategy. I’ve got about 5 years left to pay off my mortgage and student loans and after that, I will officially bow out of the profession.
@@LeDammm its not that intellectually rewarding. you dont threat high cholesterol with statins. you address the root cause, but insurance wont pay you to do that. wasted 2 years of my life in med school smh.
Dear Le I am a former Us resident and I significantly bribed out my 3rd year of residency and couldn’t finish. I had significant depression and anxiety in the 3rd year and afterwards. I am not sure what to do from here onwards. ❤
Yeah at this point i am quite sure I don’t need a career as a medical doctor. The sunk cost feeling is real as a senior medical stuff. I love medicine but I don’t love it so much that i would give my life to do it though. If anyone want to be great at something they must give that thing their all. So i found my self in a point where i had to choose between a mediocre physician, who usually does some patient documentation and basic care or go out of the field into completely different thing.
Thank you for sharing. I completely agree with you that if you're going to do something you should give it your all and be the best at it! May I ask what field you're in now?
I really needed this video 🥺❤️ My situation is a bit different, I'm a first year dental student feeling stuck with dreams in the Computer science field, Scared to pursue my dreams and fail to take care of my beloved ones, and I can really feel the " helping people " thing... My best wishes on your journey
I'm glad it was helpful. It was very scary for me too but I didn't want to live the rest of my life wondering what if? If you work hard at something you love and never give up, I truly believe you will have no problem taking care of your loved ones. There are endless opportunities in computer science! Wishing you the best
Thank you so much 🥺 You're so kind ❤️ Do you have any social media ? Instagram or something where I can contact you if possible for sure. And keep it up for your channel 🥰
I'm switching into the CS field and its been pretty hard (a lot of learn) but i think you should do it! Every field is tough and has a lot of drawbacks so you should do what you want. I think quitting something to go into something else puts too much pressure on the something else so you should try the something else as a hobby or side thing first!
@@NOCLUEinvalid I think CS is a really great field to go into with a lot of opportunities! Are you doing both right now? Would love to hear about your experience!
Hello dear, I am a general Surgeon spent almost 25 yrs in my field. During these yrs i kept pushing myself to continue as surgeon though at a low profile. It was all very tense time. Now due to certain health issues it became very torturing for me to continue as surgeon. Kindly guide and suggest me how to take myself into an alternative field of digital health. Thanks in advance
This is amazing....it isn't a coincidence that im watching this after being in the field for one year and im now contemplating into going to tech world.....im interested in health analytics but im stack on how to go about it.... Any guide on how to start about it?
I would attend workshops, webinars, and conferences related to health analytics, These events provide opportunities to network with professionals in the field and learn from the experts!
@@LeDammm tbh I don't feel like I belong in physical therapy. I don't feel connected. I just think medicine as a field is so rigid like I can't even add my 2 points. But again that's probably bec I'm still a student. But I don't belong in medicine that's for sure. At least that's what I could figure out till now. And I'm glad that I came across your video. I felt I was alone in all this and all the doctors are super happy and completely satisfied with their careers and I'm just the unfortunate one. But I'm kinda relieved that I'm not the only one.
@@narmeenkhan5618, You are definitely not alone! Even as a student you should still have a say and add value to patient care. If you don't feel aligned, however, there are plenty of opportunities to explore where you can still help people. Feel free to reach out to me if you ever need someone to talk to. I know it's not an easy journey but it is worth exploring to find something meaningful and fulfilling.
Hii im dr Sumit a homoeopathic doctor....i currently practicing in surat...i also want to leave medical field and try some business opportunity...what should i do??
I've a confession to make: I've just graduated on engineering school and since the pandemic, I had a strong desire to become a Doctor. Is that even normal?
I know quite a few people who went into medicine after having careers in law, engineering, etc. Do what you're passionate about, but I'd suggest doing some volunteering/work experience in the field first.
@@LeDammm Thnx. I really appreciate. Actually, my dad is a Doctor. He's the reason why I decided to become also a doctor. I've seen him in the field a bunch of times. As far I could behold, is it exhausting? Hell yeah! But since I give my contribute to save someone's life, even that person get to die, in the end that's all matters to me.
How to quit your professiona as a doctor I mean how you quit , what legal procedures you have to do to leave the government hospital or if you're in private nursing homes or hospitals ?
No matter what industry you work in, there is always a way to help others. Take your time to explore what you want and how you can leverage your skills and passion to provide value to others!
After leaving clinical medicine career which master course you take for your further career because now I am also planning to leave clinical medicine that's why I am asking you ?
I didn't take any courses after leaving medicine. I did complete a master's in public health before medicine though. What course you need to take depends on what kind of job you're looking for. Do you know what you want to go into?
Clinical medicine has become a "rat race". Clinicians are pigeonholed into only seeing patients, as there is no cross-training for other aspects of medicine. Many of us clinical physicians have seen how administrators do not want to implement many of the new technological advances, unless they can make a ton of money. Medicine is a business for making money, not for helping patients to get better. You can utilize your medical degree in other ways, in order to fulfill your goal. Leave while it is still early in your career.
It's unfortunate that this is all too common. I currently work in health tech and see an opportunity to build a better future for doctors and patients.
I don't have experience working as a hospital administrator but I know that they play a crucial role in overseeing the operations of healthcare facilities. They are responsible for managing and coordinating various aspects of the facility, such as financial management, personnel administration, strategic planning, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Wish I could be more helpful!
Honestly its for the best, and most people are horrible in this world so honestly they have to learn to stop being assholes and stop self inflcting health problems on themselves which in turn makes them a burden on health services all over.
Think hard before you apply for medical school people. If you quit after going to medical school, you took away a medical school slot that someone else who really wants to be medical doctor.
With all due respect the work and the investment in your development as a physician went both ways; the institution that put in the time to train you and trust your abilities also counts- on the other end is you, with your hard work and all that goes with that.
I have no disrespect for the institution that trained me. I believe there is a lot of room for improvement within our health systems for both clinicians and patient care.
The "institution" that trains you basically gets highly qualified slave labor for many years and then a resident salary that barely qualifies as minimum wage. Then, when you become an attending, you really have to suffer and look over your shoulder for every lawyer to come at you 24/7. If you don't value your own life and want to be a cuck then medicine is exactly for you...
Why leave this kind of comment? You dont think she respects this? This is why she is brave to make this decision. I completely understand her and respect her decision as someone who goes through similar path.
Current medical student there: I find it amazing that you could complete premed courses, 4 YEARS of medical school, study for boards, apply and interview for residency to then say hey this isn't for me. SMH, getting into medical school is extremely challenging and many studying get denied and for you to just go with the flow and then just up and leave is disgusting.
It was an extremely difficult decision for me to make and did not happen the way you described it. Everyone's journey is different so it's hard to judge another person when you aren't walking in their shoes. Although it didn't work out for me, I wish you the best in your medical career.
The only thing disgusting here is your absolute lack of empathy for a person who has made a brave decision. People get divorced after 25 years of marriage. People move countries. They change jobs. People change. Life changes. God help your poor patients who will have to deal with your arrogance. Although something tells me that you’re simply projecting your own insecurities and unhappiness because you dont have an ounce of courage to change your life for the better. Good day future ‘doc’
@@DP-yw4vk YOU must have never applied to medical school, nor are you a medical student or physician. BUT we're in America so everyone is entitled to their opinion. HAVE A GREAT DAY AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS
I firmly believe that 50% of doctors would have left their profession if they were not trapped financially and had the 'stones' to be honest with themselves.
Hi Bart, it's definitely not easy. I don't believe anyone is trapped though! Scared, yes, but there are always options. The hardest part is finding your truth and going after it. It's something I work on every day.
They chose the wrong career field. Physician burnout is real. But that happens later 10-15 years in clinical practice. At 30 years old you have barely finished residency or are in residency or fellowship you’re not even an attending yet so if you’re leaving at that stage you clearly chose the wrong career field because it hasn’t gotten fun yet, it hasn’t gotten hard, you’ve not done anything in medicine if you’re leaving at 30. You don’t know what you don’t know… you’re making a decision blind. You have no idea what kind of doctor you will be at 30 years old.
@@franciscofletes1948 Fair enough and I agree with you, but the issue is that medicine IS A HUGE commitment of time, resources and effort. I plan to continue medicine because I appreciate it all at the end of the day. If you aren't happy doing it most of the time, there will never be a good time to leave. There's always a new board exam, protocol or adjustment that doctors must adjust to. That means that while you are never done learning, you MUST be passionate or you'll be miserable. Why? Cause "it" NEVER ends. There's always so much responsibility involved. You are always counted on and expectations are sky high. Many unhappy doctors stay due to those relationships and the fear of letting others down MORE than true passion. I doubt the deeply passionate get truly burnt out.
@@Tripps2564 internship and residency are very regressive. Extremely intelligent and accomplished people are infantilized, made to feel as if they know nothing, the work they put in to the profession doesn’t seem to matter much, most of the people in the healthcare team seem to be appreciated and compensated more than medical students interns and residents. This can be very frustrating for a young doctor. I think it’s a big mistake to make the decision to leave medicine during that stage. There are too many artificial confounding variables during residency that are not representative of what a life in medicine is truly like as an attending
@@franciscofletes1948 Um…if she’s not happy being a doctor, then it’s that simple…she’s just not happy. Don’t use YOUR OPINION to make others feel bad about the decisions they make to reach their happy place in life. I mean let’s get into the nitty-gritty of things, medicine is not as glorious as people make it out to be. Medicine can be very nasty to an extent. You deal with a lot of bodily fluids and nasty diseases; not everyone enjoy being around that constantly. The things you learn in medical school labs is not the same thing you experience once you’re in rotations, residency, or outside of that. As I stated, not everyone enjoys being in certain environment, and if leaving medicine is the best decision she can make for HER LIFE then let it be.
I am a doctor and I also want to change my career. I feel like I'm in a terrible relationship and that I have given so many chances to my career and now it's time to move forward. I don't recognise myself anymore, i have no joy whatsoever in showing up to work. After studying so much i thought that I should still try, so I moved to another country (in the idea that working in a better medical system would make me happy), I tried teaching (my current job is teaching medical students) but I still feel like it's a punishment to go to work. I admire doctors and teachers with all my heart but it is time to accept it's not for me. I've always been fascinated by numbers, that you can rely on them. At the moment I'm starting to consider a career in data analysis. I am terrified of the thought that I have to start all over again. But today, on my way to work, I tried to visualise myself outside the medical career and I felt happy and hopeful. That's when I knew that it's finally time to do something about it.
Hi Danielle, here for you. It seems like you really have put a lot of thought and consideration into this, and it's completely normal to be scared of doing something that's outside of what you know. With any big decision, I find it helpful to use the rocking chair theory. When I'm old and sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, what will I regret? What will I be proud of? I know I'd rather try something and learn from the experience than regret not doing anything at all.
Hi Danielle. I am a Doctor and I am also going into data science. The system in my country sucks but I know that even with a better system it is not worth doing unless you are looking to help people. Thats the only way it makes sense. Otherwise it's not a normal career. It isnt rewarding if you dont like that part of the job
You can always come back to medicine. Trying something new doesn’t hurt
@@supreetsingh6038 Hello dear, I am a general Surgeon spent almost 25 yrs in my field. During these yrs i kept pushing myself to continue as surgeon though at a low profile. It was all very tense time. Now due to certain health issues it became very torturing for me to continue as surgeon. Kindly guide and suggest me how to take myself into an alternative field of digital health. Thanks in advance
Hello dear, I am a general Surgeon spent almost 25 yrs in my field. During these yrs i kept pushing myself to continue as surgeon though at a low profile. It was all very tense time. Now due to certain health issues it became very torturing for me to continue as surgeon. Kindly guide and suggest me how to take myself into an alternative field of digital health. Thanks in advance
I was an internist and left medicine 5 years ago at age 30. I miss working with patients and their families sometimes, but do NOT regret for a second my decision. Doctors are put on pedestals often, and people call you crazy- but I find most people admire and respect my decision. I am healthy, happy, and actually love myself now. Living a very fulfilled, rewarding life while still helping others and contributing to this world. Lots of ways to do it. 👏👏👏 I applaud your courage, and wish you the best!
Thank you for sharing the inspirational words, Alison! I couldn't agree with you more. I miss working with patients but I also do not regret my decision and have never been happier. Would love to connect with you to hear more about your story and wishing you all the best as well!
Hi Alison, what did you change into? I'm 29 and looking to leave medicine and have enrolled in environmental science post grad. Thanks
Do what's best
What did you change into? I’m almost at 30 and need a switcy
We all applaud those who venture into the unknown to seek their best selves.
God Bless!
Well done for making a decision that was right and healthy for you. I left my nursing career at 30 and currently studying a masters of teaching. It's all about living a life that is authentic to you. Sending good vibes x
Thank you, Sarah. I'm so happy that you are getting to do the same. We need good teachers and mentors! Sending good vibes your way as well x
Word 💯
Cannot be truer!
Word 💯
Cannot be truer!
@@precious14stones 🙂
@@LeDammm smart move since Physicians are being replaced with mid-level providers and machines
Girl I left medicine too! The profession is changing and a lot of are frustrated with whats going on. I hope we both become happy and fulfilled
It's a shame, isn't it? There are problems with the system which need to be addressed. Where has your journey led you? WIsh you all the best in everything :)
i realize I'm kinda off topic but does anyone know of a good site to stream newly released series online?
@Marley Emery flixportal xD
@Duke Atlas Thank you, I signed up and it seems like a nice service =) Appreciate it!
@Marley Emery No problem =)
I’m a month away from finishing my clinicals and I’m already looking for other career options. It’s tough coming this far only to realize this is not what I want my life to be like.
Luckily, clinical practice is not the only pathway for medical graduates
I hope u are doing okay
I was a practicing family physician in the USA for 9 years (2005-2014). My story is very long, but the main reason I quit is because I hated the patients and their drug seeking behaviour. Almost 70% of my patients wanted some drug from me: Vicodin, Soma, Xanax, Promethazine with Codeine etc etc. I felt like I was a drug dealer rather than a physician. I am happy now with my own internet business.
That must've been difficult. I'm glad you found something that makes you happy now. What kind of internet business is it?
bro was gangsta and didn’t realize it
Time and money invested in anything should never be an obatruction for change. It's not wasted time but lessons that were meant for you. Wishing you well for the future and thank you for sharing.
Watching this video honestly brought tears to my eyes! I’m a recent med school graduate and honestly I still don’t know if being a doctor is for me. I was so passionate about fashion in highschool but life took me to med school lol. And overtime i lost my passion in fashion or anything artsy . Like you said i enjoy the part about making patients feel comfortable making them understand their situations, but I don’t feel well mentally and I don’t know if it’s a mistake for me to pivot to something else. At this point i really don’t know what to pursue anymore.
Hi Husna, that's so awesome that you have a passion for fashion! I've always loved fashion as well and believe that we should pursue things we are passionate about. I believe it's better to try and fail than to live life with regret. Your mind and body are in the flow state when you're doing something creative that you love, so I hope you get to try it! I know it may be scary right now, but fear is the killer of dreams and what holds people back from realizing their potential. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to chat. You can message me on Instagram @drlemd
@@LeDammm thank you 🥺♥️
@@husnahussain8796 You are so welcome
exactly how I feel thank you for this comment
@@rojam3115 you are welcome ♥️
Im 23 and I just dropped out of Dental school after 3 years of studying.. I had 3 more years left at least and i just couldnt see myself doing this for even the next 9 months.. Ive never felt so miserable . Before uni i had a social life, relationship, time for myself in general and ever since i got in dental school all i did was study and go to lectures, i broke up my 2 year relationship, lost a lot of weight (this is not a good thing for me because i was already skinny) and honeslty lost my identity. And the worst part was i was in a state university so the professors treated us like garbage and to be honest i dont think i learned anything valuable from them. All i know i from the books ive read and tutorials ive watched. It felt like im just paying to get a diploma but im doing everything myself while being disrespected. It was a horrible experience for me and i wish someone told me this before i even applied. Im now learning to code and im gonna move out from my country by next year. I know you uploaded this a year ago and i hope youre doing great now ! I just wanted to ask if you even stuggled with feelings of shame and guilt for quitting medicine and if you did how did you manage to get over that? After i quit i felt like im a faliure and i still kinda do when i think about it, even tho i know its not the end of the world if i dont become a doctor or dont finish something that i thought i want at that time.
I never saw pursuing medicine as time wasted because I've learned so much and met many amazing people who are still close to me today, so I don't feel shame or guilt. In fact, I felt empowered because I took a leap of faith based on a gut feeling that this was not the path for me and realized there are so many opportunities outside of traditional healthcare to make an impact!
Im crying watching this video. I can relate to all you’re saying. Im still “trapped” but I’m starting the journey to get out Today. Thank you for sharing your story
I feel very touched that you can relate. You should never feel trapped in what you are doing. There are options, and some people just need a break and return to medicine feeling great. I hope you find the path for you!
If you found a hint of your passion , jump ship now
You are doing a great disservice by not following something that energizes you
Currently in the same boat, I studied medicine under the influence that it would be fascinating and fulfilling as helping people is my thing, but I've been emotionally struggling to accept that in every setting both public and private there's limitations as to how much I can actually do for a patient, how much time I can spend with them, the meds we can give them due to the costs...getting called "innocent" by older colleagues and told "patients are lying to me" that have lost their spirit and treat patients like numbers...then the self doubt ..I'm tired, I'm soooo tired of all of it. I'm currently working at a health insurance company, and its been hell for me. I feel stuck here and Im at a point in which I don't care about helping people anymore, I just want to help myself for once and be happy. And that's exactly what I'm going to do. I signed myself up for a bootcamp course in programming, will be done in 6 months! Wish me luck!
Thank you for your video, I genuinely appreciate it, you are not alone ❤
Good luck with the course:)
Stay strong
Same ideas on how people once manipulated me and lied to me when I was trying to help them. Betrayal at its best. Done being innocent.
Hello dear... How are you doing now... I'm also a doctor, 33 and thinking of quitting.. donno I will regret it ever.. please update
My cousins friend was a doctor for four to five years and she decided she didn’t want to be a doctor anymore. She quit and joined the United States Border Patrol. She’s stationed at the United States/Mexico Border in San Diego. She’s a supervisor for the San Diego Port now and she says she has absolutely no regrets leaving medicine.
Thank you for sharing this. I recently graduated from medical school, in the UK it's 6 years, and have made the difficult decision of taking a break from medicine/consider other career options due to poor mental health and not being sure of Medicine
Sorry to hear this, Sara. You're not alone. Many people in medicine struggle with mental health and you should be proud that you're taking the steps needed to care for yourself
@@LeDammm thank you for your response ❤
In the same position, I realized that I actually hate it and was forced by parents and now just trapped and suicidal everyday
@@noraaa8479 I'm so sorry that you're feeling this way. I hope you are able to get support for your mental health through GP/uni counselling/free services that you can self refer to. This situation you're in now/medical school will pass and won't be forever. Anyone whose gotten into medicine is smart ,capable and hard working and I believe you can succeed in another path if that is what you wish to do after medical school ❤ follow what you think is best for you/mental health/ financial well being and independence also. I know it's so hard when you feel trapped 😞 , take it one day and one thing a time and try to do things which you used to enjoy doing ❤
I’m a high school student looking into different career choices, and I’m ruling out the medical field. I don’t think i’d be happy in that environment, with the high, high stress. I’ve always found the human body interesting, but I wasn’t never really into paient care, or some of the other parts of the job. Plus, I don’t want to give up my youth for constant studying.
Try to explore as many different things as possible. You will learn what you like and don't like.
Finding your truth as early as possible and acting on it immediately is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Life is short. Follow your heart and do the things that align with your values. Not a lot of people can do this because it takes a lot of courage to look at yourself on the mirror.
Thank you, Anonymous. The more conversations I have with doctors, the more I understand how difficult this is for many. I believe that if you possess the work ethic, intelligence, discipline, and resilience necessary for a career in medicine, you can succeed in anything. I must acknowledge, however, that the medical profession offers job security and financial stability, which is not the case for many other paths.
Graduated Medical School....being honest with myself i hated being in the hospital all the damn time. Fuck what people say. I realized that im happier living life, being with loved ones instead of being stuck reviewing. Dont get me started about residency. If you're only after money thats not what medicine is about. You can make money trading. Im way more money than a neurosurgeon with the luxury of finnancial freedom. I trade crypto and stocks and do not regret it.
Congratulations, Ken! Awesome to hear people's different career paths. People should do what they're passionate about and the money will come.
we have the same situation dude, made so much money with crypto and stocks than I ever did when I was in the medical field.
@@hubbyrongaming congrats bro! Crypto can give you generational wealth
@@hubbyrongaming That's awesome. Is that what you're doing full-time now?
@@LeDammm yes, but my ultimate goal is to treat people for free while earning from crypto, stocks and businesses.
I admire people like yourself. Because i know the road you had to take into self discovery wasn’t easy. And such decisions requires a tremendous believes and trust in one’s abilities to tackle challenges of the future.
I know it’s my second reply but honestly a few more words that i had to say.. I wish you all the best ♥️💪🏼
Thank you so much. It really means a lot to me. I had to learn to push myself to do things I'm scared of because I've realized the more action I take the less scary things are and the more confident I become. I wish you all the best as well!
Without a job lined up?! 😲 good for you for being bold and living authentically!
Thank you for the support Mel :) I have to be honest though, it wasn't easy! There were definitely a few moments there when I felt like I had made a huge mistake...but luckily it worked out.
I’m actually in my third year of medschool. Last year i was lucky enough to get a tutor who keeps reminding us that medicine is not everything and that we can always restart no matter how long we’ve been through this dark hole. I’ve been considering on stopping since last year but i gave it another try this year as they say clinical years is totally different from preclinical. However, the thoughts came lingering in my mind again this year. i’ve never felt like a complete failure before medschool. Medicine makes me look like a complete idiot that what makes me lose interest in it. Hopefully its not too late to start everything all over again when most of my friends are already graduating, starting a job and my cohort is entering year 4. So my advise to younger teenagers high schoolers please consider think again before applying to medical school.
I same boat as you are, fourth year medical student, want to connect with you, would you like to share ig account?
Definitely finish that degree, you are almost there. It will open many doors for you.😊
Not even possible. Been an MD for 4 years but still have $640k of debt. Hate the job but no idea what else to do and need $$
Are you still in medicine? If not what did you end up doing
Why do you have that much debt?
Thank you! I changed fields and this has been one of the decisions that haunted me. I left to go in Marketing and IT. When I announced it to my parents it was was frightening to everyone. It was like OK, she (me) will not have financial stability. At the time, IT was not knows as a high paying job like it is today. Let me tell you it was the Best decision I ever took. I'm at peace, I work from home make an excellent salary that I am extremely thankful for.
how did you get into/learn IT and marketing?
Amen....great video. She is telling the truth. MEDICINE is hard. It is mentally draining due to shear volume. If we could see less patients and give them 100%, then we would feel fulfilled. But an overpacked schedule...OMG!!!
Whatever path you go, do not trap yourself to guilt feelings. Ignore ruthless comments. I support and fully respect your brave decision. I find this video very therapeutic.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support. I really appreciate it.
@@LeDammm No worries. I recently took the similar path after tons and tons of reflection and self doubt and reflection and self doubt. I thought I would regret after quiting but I feel so relieved. I am going to live life the way I want it and the way where I truly feel calm and happy and really don't give a damn about what other ppl think or all those social expectations. I am so glad I could come up with this realization to save myself before getting too old and have life full of regrets. Thank you for sharing your story and the world needs more brave ppl like you!
@@olivetree5670 That is truly inspiring and I'm so glad you're living a life that is authentic to you! I hope everyone can live like that, but you're right, it does take time and a lot of reflection!
I think the best decision is one that gives you hope for the future and things to look forward to. If it’s not the career you are in, like you said, you only have one life. It’s also your responsibility to take care of that one life you’ve been given.
.
I think the best decision is one that gives you hope for the future and things to look forward to. If it’s not the career you are in, like you said, you only have one life. It’s also your responsibility to take care of that one life you’ve been given.
.😊
Thanks for sharing! Your knowledge on medicine and treatment wont be wasted. It could be adapted to many technologies like an app for telemedecine. I'm sure the tech industry needs a person like you. Good luck :)
Thank you, Orana! You're right. It's a solution that my company offers and is building out.
I’m also 30 and a Doctor, and I started to question my career path. Thank you for making this video. Can’t say that I know what to do. What advice could you give someone who’s just starting to have these thoughts?
30 is very young and you have so much life ahead of you! Don't be afraid to take a step back to re-evaluate what you want in life. I didn't know what to do initially when I first started to question medicine but writing down what is important to me and what gives me purpose and meaning gave me perspective on what I want to do. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions. You can DM me on IG @drlemd
@@LeDammm Thank you so much! I will definitely take your advice, I've already taken this month off to remove all distractions and see if this path sparks joy anymore within me. I will be contacting you on IG as well. Thanks again.
@@sanaa4661 You are so welcome. I'm glad you're taking a break for yourself. Medicine is a wonderful career but it's not an easy one. Look forward to speaking with you :)
I'm 30, an internal medicine specialist in india, and quit last year to pursue another dream..
@@dr.sakeenajahan4952 Hello! That's very interesting, what was the other dream if you don't mind me asking?
Needed this so badly. Thank you
Here if you need someone to talk to
Congratulations on your baldness. It is such a big decision to take. I went through the same process but I still couldn't decide what to do after leaving medicine. I had depression and because of my family pressures and because I saw all my class mates moving forward and making steps while I stand still.
Thank you, Taqwa. I understand it's not an easy position to be in and to be honest I had a few breakdowns along the way. All I know is that if you compare yourself to others you will never be happy because comparison is the thief of happiness! Focus on you and your journey. Remember, it's a process and you only fail by giving up. Take time for yourself and be kind to yourself. Figure out what it is that you want to do. It helped me to sit down and draw out my life vision and write down the steps to get there. It's your life so get creative! I'm here to help if you have any questions :)
Thanks a lot I appreciate every word
Anytime, Taqwa :)
Love your vulnerability. Thanks for speaking from the heart. I left my residency as well, which was a complicated situation too! You are doing much better things with your energy. Kudos in following your intuition!! 💖💖💖😚
This made me tear. Thank you for sharing your story. I could relate to everything you said and feel like I'm in a similar situation now. Thank you for making me feel comforted and more courageous to take a leap outside clinical medicine
Comments like this make it worth it to share my story as scary as it was for me to do so. Also realize you are not alone because I get so many messages like this. Plenty of opportunities outside of clinical practice to continue helping people :)
American healthcare is fully diseased, rotten and on its way to dying. This sudden surge of medical professionals leaving during the pandemic is really stemming from a completely broken system that was getting by in recent times on the backs of compassionate people who didn’t know any better back then. American healthcare is expensive from the cost of training various professions to the costs in producing the drugs we utilize. But whereas other businesses can charge whatever they want and supply and demand would work out the cost, in medicine, especially given the nature of taking care of people’s health and government involvement, it is tightly regulated. The manufacturer of the medical supplies and drugs can charge whatever they want and yet the hospital and clinicians are capped (with rules such as no reimbursement if re hospitalized within a month, even if it isn’t the providers fault). But think of a plumber on the other hand who can charge extra for taking late night calls (doctors can’t do that). Private insurance companies are what led to the beginning of the end with their bogus coding requirements and reimbursement rates and dictating health care. Of course they’re going to try to hold on to as much of their money as they can. The entire healthcare model revolves around how we can get reimbursed by insurance or the government (think ICD coding and documentation) NOT patient care. Throw in all the middle men who are involved in health care who only add more expense and not value (PBMs, many of the business analysts, etc.), non centralized emrs leading to more waste (redundant work ups, labs, procedures)and equally burning physicians out, and a lack of responsibility by the patient in their preventative care, in part due to complex socioeconomic issues in this country. From the doctors’ perspective, we work so hard for many years thinking and training as if we’ll get to then manage independently but instead majority of us are employed by large health entities who treat us as if we’re some low level employees and continuing to micromanage our every decision. Most of our salaries are not competitive as they should be considering the liabilities, the years of training tagged along with the educational/training expense, and don’t account for the hours we actually work whether taking night calls, holiday calls, extended hours…again if you chose to run any other business you could charge a fee for the work you’re actually doing. (Look at any car related expense and you’ll see fees for lesser things!) Once many of us saw how a sizable portion of American society truly cares for us HCWs (with their refusals to hear our request to initially socially distance then mask then vaccinate) along with hospitals,who view us as simply expendable work horses starting back when we didn’t have enough PPEs, plus COVID itself taking people out the work force is when everything started falling apart …docs need to take the nurses lead and go prn and reclaim the leverage and drive the market to our perceived worth. Docs need to unionize; the current major organizations have failed us as have the older docs here that let things crumble this way. Society and government will only recognize when all that’s left is low quality professionals just how badly we need to redo American healthcare- taking out useless middle men including private insurance co., setting fair costs from professional education, to equipment, drugs, liability costs, patient responsibility (ie you smoke you pay much more, or you aren’t actively managing your lifestyle disease whether htn, t2dm, hld, obesity, etc.) and restoring a work life balance for the employees especially those of us who have already sacrificed many years to get here…kudos to anyone who read to the end of this rant 🙏🏾
Dr. Dam, thank you for sharing!! very well spoken and genuine. I am a PGY1 who relates to every word you said- from the frustrations with the system to to the point about tech. It's always been a passion, every since trying to convince my father to buy apple stock some 13 years ago lol.. My main hinder is simply not having any actual tech experience. Regardless, I applaud you, and most realistically, will be following your footsteps. Best of luck on the rest of your journey!
Hi Le are you Vietnamese?
After medical school I decide that I wanted to run a hospital and learn the business side of medicine. Got my MBA/MHA instead of going on to residency. I couldn’t be any happier with my choice ! I run oncology treatment center now.
Thank you for sharing your experience
HI Vu, I am Vietnamese. That is amazing. Congratulations! Where is your oncology center?
Thinking about doing this, what exactly do you do now?
It's a hard decision, like a bitter-sweet divorce. I understand because I have been there, too. If you have a plan and work towards it, you'll be ok. Wishing you and anyone else making a career change the best of luck.
Thank you for this. It means a lot to me and I'm sure to others as well. Sending you a lot of love ❤
@@LeDammm I also created a vlog on my youtube channel recently about my transition to another field. Leaving medicine is not the end; it is just the beginning of something new. Anyways, I hope you enjoy my vlog ❤
@@fahmidamiah Love it. Thank you for sharing
Thanks for the video! I'm from the engineering side (human factors engineering + electrical engineering) and I want to improve health. For me, I felt tech has limits in helping and was agonizing if being a doctor would be better to help people.. Like without the medical knowledge it's hard to know if a system is going the right way. I know I can collab with doctors as studying medicine takes such a long time and huge money.. but I do feel medical knowledge is first before tech to solve healthcare problems that I'm wondering if I should change my career..
Hi Lee! The medical knowledge and experience are definitely valuable but if you can recruit smart and talented medical people for your team I believe you can still be very successful. You should focus on your strengths and hire your weaknesses. It's the team that makes the dream!
Thanks alot for this content am a final year medical student from Nigeria and I have come to realize from all my clinical rotation it's not really for me. I could legit relate to everything you said. I have intermidiate in skills in software development and am also looking to go into tech. What break my heart the most is medcine barely got transferable skill so like I feel like am starting my life from scratch 💔. Anyways I just came across Ur channel am I love Ur contents.
Thank you for the support! There are definitely skills from medicine that are transferable. You just have to know how to leverage them! I just made a video about this.
I am a doctor from India and agree strongly with the part about transferrable skills. I liked tech and business but decided to go with medicine and learn tech and business on my own. Now I want to change my career and have a lot of experience in blogging which would have helped me get another job IF ONLY my basic degree was something related to writing or tech rather than medicine
i am a pediatric resident.
i have one month to go in my residancy which is my annual leave before the final exam.
i had intense burnout.
i was only working and sleeping.
i was not working to live. i was living to work.
two months ago was the oppertunity to apply for fellowship. i couldn't force myself to apply. and i missed the window.
the exam is next month.
and i haven't studied anything. my colleagues started studying 6 months ago. i would probably fail the exam.
im not going to lie, i feel lost.
as if i jumped off a fast moving train in a place i have no clue about.
i have passive income that will keep me afloat until i figure out what else i can do in this place people call life.
I hope you are okay! Please reach out to me if you need someone to talk to. You can message me on LinkedIn or IG
I’m kind of in a similar position, I’m an intern and residency match is in a month and I failed my first exam and my second exam is in a couple of weeks everyone’s been studying for months but I can’t get myself to study I hate it I hate that I was pressured into a profession I absolutely hate. I’m just waiting for death to save me from this misery called life.
What was your frustration with medicine? I know you've said that medicine limited what you could do in taking care of your patients. Can you elaborate on that?
You talk so passionately! Loved the video. Med student from Brazil here
Hi Rafaella! Thank you for the kind words! Hope I can visit Brazil someday :)
Thanks for sharing this, I was always passionate about tech and business but decided to have my basic career in medicine for the stability it provides. I am still trying to build some alternate income stream so I can quit for good. I am also very passionate about psychiatry but don’t know if I can stay in the system until I graduate, so that’s another reason for my uncertainty. I think another reason many people choose medicine, at least in some countries like mine (India) is because it’s a glamourised profession. Every parent wants their kid to be a doctor even when they have no interest in medicine whatsoever. Most of my friends who did medicine (and continue to do it and study further) didn’t come into it because they were passionate about it, but just because everyone told them it’s the best
A career in medicine is far from basic! However, I do understand your sentiments. I grew up thinking it would be the best career to financially support my family, but now that I've done other things outside of medicine, I see how many more opportunities there are.
Have you enjoy what you do!
Always hardest to step away from a well beaten path and away from expectations from other!
Good on Yar Le!
Thank you, Alex! I really enjoyed working together and learned a lot from you!
Thank you for this video! You did an amazing job articulating your thought process of making big decisions. Life is beautiful and making decisions to adjust your passion and aligning your dream take a lot of courage.
Thank you for your beautiful words! We have the power to create the lives we want, don't we?
I am proud of you for taking this decision. You should do what makes you happy. Also, you are right there are many ways of helping people.
Thank you, Nandini. Glad you agree that we can find many ways to help people! Wishing you happiness, peace, and success. Happy new year!
Super nice video. Side note, your speech pattern is very calming. I could definitely learn from it
I'm a 2nd year med student, and I'm thinking seriously about stopping and shifting my focus on writing and fashion,,, I still don't know how yo face my family as I know how disappointed they'd feel
Hello, take it from me. It doesn’t matter, how disappointed, angry, upset they will be. I have been wanting to leave since 2nd year of med school - my parents told me just to finish medical school I did. Then they said wait until you finish the foundation programme (step 1 of the junior doctor medical training that takes 2 years). I begged them to help me leave after my first year as a doctor - my depression getting worse each year I didn’t take the decision. 2nd year - I had burnout and started antidepressants. Returned after 2 months of leave -3rd year - suicide attempt. The longer you wait, the harder it gets. I had friends who either quit in medical school or finished the degree and found themselves other career avenues (I don’t know how they did this, I just know they are not doctors). Until recently my family was still expecting me to ‘get better and return’, I get chronic fatigue worsening whenever I am really depressed. 3 years without a job, they finally realise I don’t have it in me to go back - I am planning on going back to college, I am turning 32 this year. I’ve known I needed to leave since 23. It took more than 9 years and suicide attempt (they didn’t even stop expecting me to go back after this btw!) 9 years and my mental health no one else but I have to pay for or deal with.
You've made the right decision. Very courageous. 🙌
Thanks, as a medical student with a CS degree that wants to do something similar to this, this speaks to me.
Thank you for bravely sharing your experience in this platform. Glad to chance upon your video as I make one of the biggest decisions in my career. After watching this and reading the comments below, I realized that I'm not alone in this predicament and that there's nothing wrong with putting yourself first, even it means walking away from your dream.
Now, I'm at that crossroad on which path to transition to and I hope I will discover a new passion where I can pour my heart into just like how you found your niche in health tech.
Can you share some tips on how to find new career opportunities and broaden our choices? Thank you 🙂
Hi Yurika, I was scared to share my story and have been surprised and overwhelmed by how many people can relate. So many people have asked this very question, and it requires some self-exploration and research into your interests, passions, skills, and even what opportunities are available to you in your area. I recognize that in some countries, there are not as many opportunities to join pharma or health tech companies, but I do believe you can create opportunities wherever you are since most jobs are remote now!
I’m a nurse practitioner and have been in the nursing profession for 20 years. I am currently working on my exit strategy. I’ve got about 5 years left to pay off my mortgage and student loans and after that, I will officially bow out of the profession.
u brave. made me feel better about my own decision to do the same.
You are definitely not alone. Quite a few people have reached out to me who feel the same way! What is your reason for taking a break or leaving?
@@LeDammm its not that intellectually rewarding. you dont threat high cholesterol with statins. you address the root cause, but insurance wont pay you to do that. wasted 2 years of my life in med school smh.
Dear Le I am a former Us resident and I significantly bribed out my 3rd year of residency and couldn’t finish. I had significant depression and anxiety in the 3rd year and afterwards. I am not sure what to do from here onwards. ❤
I switched from nursing to HR
Baby steps matter
The research matters
Hope everyone finds the courage to take that first step!
That's awesome Mingii. Can you share why and how you switched to HR?
Yeah at this point i am quite sure I don’t need a career as a medical doctor. The sunk cost feeling is real as a senior medical stuff.
I love medicine but I don’t love it so much that i would give my life to do it though.
If anyone want to be great at something they must give that thing their all.
So i found my self in a point where i had to choose between a mediocre physician, who usually does some patient documentation and basic care or go out of the field into completely different thing.
Thank you for sharing. I completely agree with you that if you're going to do something you should give it your all and be the best at it! May I ask what field you're in now?
@@LeDammm I’m an MBBS program graduate and about to do my internship.
@@AbdurahmanAlomrani Good luck :)
@@LeDammm thanks, to you too
I really needed this video 🥺❤️ My situation is a bit different, I'm a first year dental student feeling stuck with dreams in the Computer science field, Scared to pursue my dreams and fail to take care of my beloved ones, and I can really feel the " helping people " thing... My best wishes on your journey
I'm glad it was helpful. It was very scary for me too but I didn't want to live the rest of my life wondering what if? If you work hard at something you love and never give up, I truly believe you will have no problem taking care of your loved ones. There are endless opportunities in computer science! Wishing you the best
Thank you so much 🥺 You're so kind ❤️ Do you have any social media ? Instagram or something where I can contact you if possible for sure. And keep it up for your channel 🥰
@@assfar-4832 You can contact me on IG @lele.m.d or Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/le-l-019661177/ 🥰
I'm switching into the CS field and its been pretty hard (a lot of learn) but i think you should do it! Every field is tough and has a lot of drawbacks so you should do what you want. I think quitting something to go into something else puts too much pressure on the something else so you should try the something else as a hobby or side thing first!
@@NOCLUEinvalid I think CS is a really great field to go into with a lot of opportunities! Are you doing both right now? Would love to hear about your experience!
Hello dear, I am a general Surgeon spent almost 25 yrs in my field. During these yrs i kept pushing myself to continue as surgeon though at a low profile. It was all very tense time. Now due to certain health issues it became very torturing for me to continue as surgeon. Kindly guide and suggest me how to take myself into an alternative field of digital health. Thanks in advance
Hi Dr. Mirza, please contact me on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/ledam/
So im not alone....i quit being a doctor and now im doing tile buisness qith my husband...im into art and interior designing
Just popped in my feed again. After 1 year, 20k views! Niceeee
Thanks for the encouragement Tu-Hai! Looks like you're living the good life. So happy for you and Tien
Going through a relative situation. I thank you for sharing.
Beautiful being I feel & sense.
Beyond the exterior plane.
Blessings🙏🏼
🔥
🧿Xavier
Thank you Xavier. Wishing you the best.
This is amazing....it isn't a coincidence that im watching this after being in the field for one year and im now contemplating into going to tech world.....im interested in health analytics but im stack on how to go about it....
Any guide on how to start about it?
I would attend workshops, webinars, and conferences related to health analytics, These events provide opportunities to network with professionals in the field and learn from the experts!
Inspiration! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Scarlett! Happy new year!
I want to leave, but trying to figure out how and what next😢?
off topic but YOU ARE SO GORGEOUS ❤️
Thank you ❤
I'm studying physiotherapy and I know I'm gonna leave it soon
Hi Narmeen, hoping all is well! What's your reason for leaving? Wishing you the best of luck.
@@LeDammm tbh I don't feel like I belong in physical therapy. I don't feel connected. I just think medicine as a field is so rigid like I can't even add my 2 points. But again that's probably bec I'm still a student. But I don't belong in medicine that's for sure. At least that's what I could figure out till now. And I'm glad that I came across your video. I felt I was alone in all this and all the doctors are super happy and completely satisfied with their careers and I'm just the unfortunate one. But I'm kinda relieved that I'm not the only one.
@@narmeenkhan5618, You are definitely not alone! Even as a student you should still have a say and add value to patient care. If you don't feel aligned, however, there are plenty of opportunities to explore where you can still help people. Feel free to reach out to me if you ever need someone to talk to. I know it's not an easy journey but it is worth exploring to find something meaningful and fulfilling.
almost 40, loans paid off. want to leave. 650k in savings. don't own a house. career ideas anyone?
Consulting? A course in management or something
Considering this first I need to pay off a shit ton
Yes, student debt is no joke.
Hii im dr Sumit a homoeopathic doctor....i currently practicing in surat...i also want to leave medical field and try some business opportunity...what should i do??
I've a confession to make: I've just graduated on engineering school and since the pandemic, I had a strong desire to become a Doctor. Is that even normal?
I know quite a few people who went into medicine after having careers in law, engineering, etc. Do what you're passionate about, but I'd suggest doing some volunteering/work experience in the field first.
@@LeDammm Thnx. I really appreciate. Actually, my dad is a Doctor. He's the reason why I decided to become also a doctor. I've seen him in the field a bunch of times. As far I could behold, is it exhausting? Hell yeah! But since I give my contribute to save someone's life, even that person get to die, in the end that's all matters to me.
@@LeDammm And just for the record, I never thought I'd want to become a doc.
How to quit your professiona as a doctor
I mean how you quit , what legal procedures you have to do to leave the government hospital or if you're in private nursing homes or hospitals ?
I believe it depends on where you work and what your contract says. I worked for a government hospital and completed one year and then left.
I left nursing , work a tech job now ❤
That's awesome Clio! What do you do in tech? Can you share advice/resources that helped you make the transition?
@@LeDammm I’m a QA Analyst 😊
@@cliobhabie That's awesome :)
Interesting how most 30 year old women decide they no longer want to do medicine or law
I quit medicine. I miss my patients but I was destroyed. Now I don’t know how to help others 😢
No matter what industry you work in, there is always a way to help others. Take your time to explore what you want and how you can leverage your skills and passion to provide value to others!
After leaving clinical medicine career which master course you take for your further career because now I am also planning to leave clinical medicine that's why I am asking you ?
I didn't take any courses after leaving medicine. I did complete a master's in public health before medicine though. What course you need to take depends on what kind of job you're looking for. Do you know what you want to go into?
My point was that this was not only about you and finding yourself; this was also about the other entities that invested in you.
Do you mean the institution that we pay a lot of money to?
Off topic but you don’t look a day over 25 wow. Congrats on leaving and getting free!!
Thank you!! I feel young!!
Clinical medicine has become a "rat race". Clinicians are pigeonholed into only seeing patients, as there is no cross-training for other aspects of medicine. Many of us clinical physicians have seen how administrators do not want to implement many of the new technological advances, unless they can make a ton of money. Medicine is a business for making money, not for helping patients to get better. You can utilize your medical degree in other ways, in order to fulfill your goal. Leave while it is still early in your career.
It's unfortunate that this is all too common. I currently work in health tech and see an opportunity to build a better future for doctors and patients.
Inspiring
Can you give a knowledge about hospital administrator (MHA)
I don't have experience working as a hospital administrator but I know that they play a crucial role in overseeing the operations of healthcare facilities. They are responsible for managing and coordinating various aspects of the facility, such as financial management, personnel administration, strategic planning, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Wish I could be more helpful!
We are all gonna die so what is it that holds us back? F*ck fear.
Love this attitude!
Honestly its for the best, and most people are horrible in this world so honestly they have to learn to stop being assholes and stop self inflcting health problems on themselves which in turn makes them a burden on health services all over.
Yes
The TH-cam algorithm can get really freaky, but this video showed up at a very similar time in my life lol
It really can! I hope it's helpful!
Le I think the red cross needed doctor to volunteer their time during any crisis I know it's unpaid work but you can help out in anyway..
Thank you for the suggestion, Romeo! Red Cross is definitely a great organization to volunteer for.
@@LeDammm Plus any doctor can keep practice while they on off and/or still waiting for a job office.
@@LeDammm Hello Le Dam.
Did you complete residency? If not, at what year did you leave residency?
Thank you.
Great video!
❤🎉🎉❤
Hoping to
Leave too.
Are u in china?
I'm in India just met my new BF
Amazing skin
I try, but have to admit I'm wearing makeup here!
Medicine is great
....for those who don't mind being sheep of the gubment. 😂
Never going back.
Think hard before you apply for medical school people. If you quit after going to medical school, you took away a medical school slot that someone else who really wants to be medical doctor.
Agreed
With all due respect the work and the investment in your development as a physician went both ways; the institution that put in the time to train you and trust your abilities also counts- on the other end is you, with your hard work and all that goes with that.
I have no disrespect for the institution that trained me. I believe there is a lot of room for improvement within our health systems for both clinicians and patient care.
The "institution" that trains you basically gets highly qualified slave labor for many years and then a resident salary that barely qualifies as minimum wage.
Then, when you become an attending, you really have to suffer and look over your shoulder for every lawyer to come at you 24/7. If you don't value your own life and want to be a cuck then medicine is exactly for you...
@elena, Do not try to guilt trip her. She made a decision to live an authentic life. Live and let live.
Why leave this kind of comment? You dont think she respects this? This is why she is brave to make this decision. I completely understand her and respect her decision as someone who goes through similar path.
@@elfredawright exactly
😢
:)
Lol not me trying to get ito medicine at 30 🤡
That's awesome! Wishing you the best in your career 🙂
Boring. Even at x1.5
Current medical student there: I find it amazing that you could complete premed courses, 4 YEARS of medical school, study for boards, apply and interview for residency to then say hey this isn't for me. SMH, getting into medical school is extremely challenging and many studying get denied and for you to just go with the flow and then just up and leave is disgusting.
It was an extremely difficult decision for me to make and did not happen the way you described it. Everyone's journey is different so it's hard to judge another person when you aren't walking in their shoes. Although it didn't work out for me, I wish you the best in your medical career.
The only thing disgusting here is your absolute lack of empathy for a person who has made a brave decision. People get divorced after 25 years of marriage. People move countries. They change jobs. People change. Life changes. God help your poor patients who will have to deal with your arrogance. Although something tells me that you’re simply projecting your own insecurities and unhappiness because you dont have an ounce of courage to change your life for the better. Good day future ‘doc’
@@DP-yw4vk YOU must have never applied to medical school, nor are you a medical student or physician. BUT we're in America so everyone is entitled to their opinion. HAVE A GREAT DAY AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS
She isn't the first nor the last. Those that were not accepted were not accepted for a reason. She doesn't have to live with that burden,
@@Mskyraelise I said what I said. Have a great day and enjoy the holiday