NCAFP Committees

NCAFP COMMITTEES

Member Satisfaction and Practice Environment

By: Brent Hazelett, MPA, CAE

NCAFP Senior Vice President and COO

~ CAREER TRANSITIONS ~ The Seasons of Family Medicine

Are you happy? Are you practicing the type of medicine you always dreamed of practicing? Are you positively influencing the lives of your patients? Or are you a cog in a massive machine that continually demands more of you? Are you struggling to juggle your professional and personal life? Do you feel trapped?

Recently, the NCAFP’s Member Satisfaction and Practice Environment Committee met and throughout the course of the meeting, several committee members discussed their recent career transitions. Several members noted how great it is that Family Medicine as a specialty is relatively unique because one can make multiple transitions throughout the course of one’s career. Thus, the idea of this article was born. What season are you in with your career, and is it time to make a change? If so, you are far from alone.

After speaking with five North Carolina family physicians about their careers, and their recent and very diverse career transitions, there are several prominent themes and similarities to their journeys. Perhaps some of this will resonate with you. In a time when physician wellness is finally increasingly discussed, even without a pandemic that is overtaxing the healthcare system, the NCAFP wants our members to know that if your current season of family medicine is not where you want to be, perhaps it is time for a change of season, and there are colleagues out there who can help.

This is exactly what happened with Tom White, MD, who after attending an NCAFP Winter Meeting, realized it was time to make a change. According to Dr. White, “my lowest point professionally was when I came to the realization that I was no longer happy being a family physician; that my workload and task load was intolerable, that I had lost the time and enthusiasm for listening to the patient, and that my employer and I did not share my value that the patient should be the center and focus of what we call health care.” Dr. White returned home from that meeting and submitted his resignation and a year later, opened his own Direct Primary Care practice.

As an increasing percentage of graduating Family Medicine residents sign their first employment with a large health system, we are also seeing some of those health system employees become frustrated.

After 11 years with her first employer, Dr. Talia Aron did not know what change was next, but she knew it was time for something different. Frustrated with her repeatedly failed attempts to make changes from within, after self-reflection and feedback from her friends, she realized she was putting patients and charting before her personal life. “Being a mother, a wife, a friend and a physician should not be mutually exclusive, commented Dr. Aron. “If you are like me, hard-headed, it might take a few years to figure this out, and that’s okay. But when you do finally hit that wall, go for it. There will always be a need for good family physicians, and you WILL find another job.” Dr. Aron is taking a year to figure out what is next, and while she does that, is working full-time in telemedicine.

Realizing work-life balance is completely out of whack

is a recurring theme for the physicians that have gone through career transformations. And while many family physicians find it hard to leave their current role, often due to a deep personal desire to not disappoint their patients or community, changing jobs is a perfectly normal part of almost everyone’s career, and these changes are often beneficial for both the physician and the patients.

Another physician (whose name we were asked not to reveal in case the timing of the magazine was too close to the time of her transition) just six years out of residency, recently left a position she liked but realized was not a good fit for her family. “I had my third child in 2019, and within a few months of my return our health system suffered a major malware attack, followed quickly by COVID-19, then multiple providers ultimately leaving our practice. There were increasing demands on my time and I found myself stretched too thin, and in an unsustainable place for myself, my family, and my patients.” Thanks to the counsel of many people in her life, she elected to take the advice she often gives patients about preventive care and made a decision that was in her best personal interest.

Dr. Vickie Fowler has made multiple career changes as she has entered different “seasons” of her life. According to her, some of them have been good and some have not. But perhaps her best lesson learned, and her appreciation for family medicine, was summarized with these words: “I appreciate that our specialty allows us to lovingly pack away some of our “hats” once we decide they no longer fit our personal or professional goals.” For most of Dr. Fowler’s career, she practiced full scope family medicine, with a large focus on delivering babies and newborn care. But those areas of focus often came at a personal cost, and she recently decided some things had to give. “My newest opportunity at Wake Med Primary Care has been chosen with my personal needs balanced with my professional needs, along with two very specific desires – no interstate commute and no non-compete in my contract.” Dr. Fowler continued “I am thrilled to feel in control of my destiny once again while also having the support of a large local healthcare organization with a focus on patient care and community.”

Other bits of wisdom shared by these physicians:

• Trust your heart and trust your plan. Do not let others write your plan for you. And never forget why you chose to be a family physician. You are smart – probably a lot smarter than you think – and there are many smart people who have been through what you have been through, so lean on them.

• Get help before you sign a contract that could very much impact your ability to leave or change jobs. Really do your homework, ask a lot of questions, be honest with yourself and thoroughly evaluate where you are in life and what you need that you currently are not getting.

• Finally, the importance of sharing your thoughts with friends, colleagues, mentors, therapists, was underscored by everyone interviewed for this article. Talk to your friends in other parts of the state, talk with your colleagues at the NCAFP, talk with your friends and family and discuss openly with others.

As Dr. Takie Hondros put it “Don’t feel trapped; that you don’t have any choice. We all want to be happy in our lives as a family physician, but we can only accomplish that if we support each other no matter what arena of Family Medicine we work in.”

Thankfully, there are a wide range of arenas available to you as a family physician. Perhaps it is time to investigate other options and change seasons. If the NCAFP can help you with this journey, please do not hesitate to reach out to a staff member. We want the best for our members; for you to be a happy, healthy, productive family physician.