Jeremy Branzetti: Clinician. Educator. Scholar. Coach.

Kidding. But the through-line of these two stories is that upward progress is not always forward progress, higher isn’t always better, and more status isn’t tantamount to more happiness.

That is not to say taking the chance isn’t worth it — far from it. In fact, I think the willingness of each anecdote’s protagonist(s) to take a chance is truly laudable. More laudable, though, was their ability to truly reflect upon this new reality, see that it didn’t align with their values, and step away – and, in the case of my colleague, to do so at the risk of people questioning “what really happened,” inherently dripping with a presumption that something went wrong and/or they had failed. The sunk-cost fallacy is real, and mighty is the urge to “stick it out.” Perhaps doing so would pay off, and perhaps they would grow into the role. And perhaps they would be one of the nearly 50% of physicians reporting burnout and its associated consequences.

Wait… isn’t this a coaching blog?

The protagonists in these anecdotes both face a true existential crisis when it became clear that their “new life” wasn’t the life they wanted. Academic medicine is chock full of overachievers; whether or not this is due to the type of people drawn to, or a byproduct of, the profession is not clear. But what is clear is that promotion up the latter is seen as the natural path forward in one’s career. To borrow from a certain little green Jedi, the drive for upward promotion in academia is a force that surrounds us. It permeates our daily existence. It manifests as both an unwritten culture of striving, and a written institutional policy of “up or out.” Though such an environment can have benefits for those with a true grasp of their career purpose– successful role models, brilliant colleagues, a genuine desire to improve our medical care system, etc. – it can also have significant drawbacks for those who don’t have such clarity.

Professional coaching  is an outstanding way for you to come to a real, feel-it-in-your-bones knowledge of what you want – and don’t want – in your academic medical career. Grounded in identification of your core values, beliefs, and purpose for being put on this planet, professional coaching can help illuminate your north star as you approach any giant career (or life) decision. 

Values are principles you hold in life or you deem important. They can be as simple as finding time to play, or as complex as justice or equity. Though your relationships and society can shape your values, the truly important thing to understand is that they are yours and yours alone. You choose what to value in life, and by extension, what not to value.

Beliefs are inferences, assumptions, or conclusions you draw from your personal life experience. Did that driver cut you off because they were sticking it to you? Or were they rushing to the hospital in a panic? Beliefs aren’t factual knowledge; instead, they are your own “takes,” or your perspectives, derived from things you experience in life. Experiences are objective; your beliefs about them, however, are entirely inside your head. Beliefs can be both empowering or limiting.

Purpose is the reason you exist. If you only had one sentence to describe your professional mission, or why you exist on earth, or what gets you out of bed every morning, what would it be?

When you work with a professional coach, they will frequently ask thought-provoking questions aimed at illuminating your values, beliefs, and purpose. They don’t tell you your values; they help you see what was always there. It’s often shocking to the first-time coachee how powerful it is to put these intangibles into spoken word. Once identified, your path forward often clears and decisions are easy. Is that new job hard because it is challenging the frontier of your skillset and causing you to grow? Or is that difficulty a blaring klaxon telling you that you’ve lost your way and need to change course? Do I really want to uproot my comfortable existence and take a risk? Or am I torturing myself by “sticking it out” in that promising, but ultimately ill-fitting, position, merely to avoid others presuming its due to my failure or fickleness? None of these are easy questions, but with assistance from a professional coach, you’ll tap into your values, purpose, and beliefs to identify your north star and find your way forward – whether it’s out west to the great unknown, or back east to your true home.

If you’re interested in finding a thought partner to help you identify your core values, your beliefs, or your purpose, or to help you figure out which way to point your proverbial career wagon, book a free coaching session with Academic Educator Coaching below: