When it comes to leaving clinical practice and forging a new path, our podcast guest this week, Catherine Smitas, MD, proves you can have your cake and eat it too. She shares her story of navigating the transition from clinical practice to new horizons in healthcare outside of traditional patient care.
The best part of her journey? She is still taking care of patients! Dr. Smitas's passion for patient care didn't have to take a back seat to her desires to test the waters in a new frontier where she serves as a medical director with an accountable care organization.
She continues to care for patients once a week on a volunteer basis to this day.
As we learn in today's episode, it's possible to help more patients than you can dream possible if you take a chance and leave traditional patient care to pursue a less traditional role with your medical degree and patient care experience.
Her advice for doctors looking to leave traditional clinical practice is clear: it's important not to perceive yourself as trapped in your current situation. If you make the transition away from patient care, remind yourself that the choice is not permanent. While you are taking this path for now, there is room for reconsideration and returning to patient care.
With an impressive background in academia, Dr. Smitas embarked on a fulfilling career in clinical medicine. However, her path took unexpected turns, leading her to a critical juncture where the demands of her job, after-hours calls, and a growing family began to weigh on her. Her candid reflections reveal the complex emotions and challenges faced by many healthcare professionals who yearn for a more balanced life.
Through her journey, listeners gain insight into the profound decisions that can alter the course of a medical career. Her honesty about the emotional toll and sacrifices associated with leaving clinical practice, creates a relatable and thought-provoking discussion.
About This Podcast
"The Business of Caring" with Dr. Christine Meyer is a groundbreaking new series within the Tell Me More podcast that’s dedicated to exploring the synergies between compassionate patient care and business excellence.
With her expertise as a highly celebrated internal medicine physician and founder of Christine Meyer, MD, and Associates, Dr. Meyer has built a thriving practice with over 20 providers and 20,000 patients.
Her success is a direct result of putting incredible patient care first and each episode explores the profound impact of prioritizing patient well-being on overall practice success.
Join Dr. Meyer as she examines the intersection of compassionate patient care and building a thriving practice. She is your guide to achieving both financial success and exceptional patient outcomes.
Have you learned a lot by running your own business as a doctor or health care provider? Perhaps you're a physician entrepreneur in training or someone who aspires to own their own business within the realm of delivering excellent patient care. We want to hear from you. Join us as a guest on our show by emailing us at christine@christinemeyermd.com.
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