How did starting my own business save my medical career?
Here are 4 ways it saved me, it could save you too!
It’s no secret that I stopped working as a doctor full-time in order to spend more time working on my own business. This wasn’t always the plan though….
I had been having doubts about my career choice as a doctor for many years. They arguably started at university where I spent the latter years of my degree attending conferences, networking events & taking part in non-medical projects to broaden my CV. Then I applied for management consultancy roles 2 years running, thinking that a job in consultancy would act as a great stepping stone to eventually start my own business.
Why did I want to do something different?
There were so many factors influencing my thoughts but largely I felt constrained by bureaucracy and unfulfilled in medicine. For various reasons, I decided against finding another career and instead found the courage to start my own business with my brother... It was the best decision I have made to date - not just for my career but for my overall well-being.
Here are four reasons why starting my own business saved my medical career. Could it save yours too?
I took back control & regained autonomy.
The most liberating aspect of starting my own business was regaining control over my career. During my career as a full-time doctor previously, I had at times felt like I was just another cog in a well-oiled machine. There was little to NO room for any personal input or innovation. Similarly, the way in which the system feeds us from one hospital to the next made me feel like I wasn’t really driving my career car, I was sat in the passenger seat at the mercy of the NHS. This feeling changed when I started to work on my own business. I was able to choose what I was working on and how I was going about that work! This newfound autonomy made me feel less resentful about the control that my medical career had previously had and allowed me to steer my career in a direction that felt authentic to me !
I unlocked my creativity & problem solving.
I’ve never considered myself to be a creative type in the sense that I will know what to do if you put a blank piece of paper in front of me…. However, if you were to give me a brief and explain something that I needed to try to achieve then I love the challenge of trying to create a solution. I see this problem solving as a form of creativity and it was something I felt was hugely lacking in my career as a doctor. There is a degree of problem solving in your medical role but rightly so this is largely driven by well established guidelines. There is little room for experimentation! The complete opposite is true when you start your own business… It is arguably essential that you do experiment when it comes to creating your product/service and establishing ways to market it to your target customer. I had really missed applying this part of my brain!
I experienced personal growth & developed resilience.
There is really no better way to step out of your comfort zone than there is starting a business. I would go as far as saying it is “the fastest way to achieve personal growth disguised as a money making exercise”. I’ve really been forced to face challenges head-on which was something that I rarely experienced as a doctor…. It isn't very safe to do things without much experience when you’re a doctor and it is largely discouraged. However, starting a business I have very much had to step into the deep end. I’ve developed skills that I didn’t know I needed and I wouldn’t have ever learnt as a doctor - skills related to leadership, marketing, finance & communication. I’ve similarly been forced to become more resilient & adaptable as I’ve had to ride the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship. I think more often than not as doctors we get accustomed to setting ourselves a challenge and achieving the outcome we need/desire… The reality of life is that things don’t often work out the first time and sometimes we have to try again, again & again. The journey of entrepreneurship really is filled with lessons that stretch way beyond being just business related. It has really helped me to embrace discomfort, pick myself up any time I fall down & continue trying to move things in the direction I want them to go!
It reminded me that I could be more than “just” a doctor.
As a full-time doctor I was starting to have an identity crisis where I felt my career was taking over my life… I really didn’t like the idea of being “just” a doctor especially when I didn’t particularly see myself aligned to the career. The moment I started my own business and became a “doctor but I’m also a business owner” when I introduced myself, I realised that I didn’t ever need to be just a doctor. I’m slightly disappointed that it took me to start my own business to realise this but I’m glad I did nonetheless.
I found that starting my own business really was the catalyst I needed to reinvigorate my medical career & reclaim my passion for patient care. I do think going part-time was a huge factor influencing this too but I don’t think reducing my hours alone would have had the same impact.
A factor that I haven’t mentioned here which could be relevant to others is how starting a business could have been a way for me to address patient needs more effectively or efficiently. There are lots of ways you could try to address gaps you have noticed in patient care by starting a business. Similarly, there are lots of ways a business could help you to serve a wider number of patients than those you are able to serve as a doctor seeing patients on an individual basis. I personally haven’t experienced this benefit as the businesses I’ve started haven’t been medical or related to personal health. However, I have noticed how fulfilling it is to be having a wider impact!
As I often share on my social media, this journey of starting my own business hasn’t been without its challenges but the rewards far outweighed the risks. I really would encourage anyone who is feeling constrained in their current role to explore whether the world of entrepreneurship could be the answer. It isn’t easy making a career change or starting a business but it isn’t impossible. Please don’t hesitate to contact me via email (elle@gabrielletodd.com) if you have any questions about careers or entrepreneurship!
Did you know I offer 1:1 coaching to help others make changes in their lives? This can be related to careers, starting a business or forming healthier habits. Please just send me an email directly to elle@gabrielletodd.com if this is something you feel you would benefit from & would like to learn more about.
