Humanism and Professionalism - On Being a Doctor: How Did I Get Here? Career Choice in Medicine

Dr. Goldberg wonders how one can learn to accept that critical career decisions are made with an imperfect data set.

Use this essay to:

  • Listen to an audio recording, read by Dr. Michael LaCombe.
  • Have you decided on a career path? How did you reach your decision? How certain are you? In what ways are you uncertain?
  • Should uncertainty about the training and career paths your on concern you? How should you manage uncertainty?
  • How should you assess the path you're on? What questions should you ask yourself?
  • Does a career in medicine provide the opportunity to switch directions?
  • Consider arranging a series of informal meetings (perhaps meals) with your educators and more senior individuals whose careers have taken diverse twists and turns. Ask them to share the lessons they learned about navigating and adjusting paths.

Annals of Internal Medicine is the premier internal medicine academic journal published by the American College of Physicians (ACP). It is one of the most widely cited and influential specialty medical journals in the world.

Back to the December 2019 issue of ACP IMpact