The Medtrix

What is The Medtrix? It is the medical career that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth: that you are a slave.

Look, I've come to terms with the fact that I'm a massive nerd. I can only parse the world through the lens of science fiction movies I've seen. Don't laugh now—it's a real condition with its own ICD-9 code: 003.14, Dorkiness NOS. The typical signs and symptoms include choosing Internal Medicine as a career, owning 20-sided dice, and receiving unexpected wedgies at cocktail parties from orthopods named Chip.

But after working as a full-time clinical hospitalist for almost 9 years now, I'm starting to appreciate some eerie parallels to the sci-fi classic The Matrix. Although I admit I have yet to see a single doctor at the hospital wearing a skin-tight leather bodysuit. Scrub-chaps, maybe, but no leather. Wait, where was I?

Oh yeah. For many of us practicing clinical medicine, the world can sometimes take on an unreal, dreamlike quality. Like we're going through the motions of someone else's life.

Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream?

For the majority of my clinical career, I've had this nagging feeling. I'm suspecting many in medicine today may have felt similarly: that the REAL world is out there, and we're trudging through someone else's construct instead. The key question we have to ask ourselves is less HOW to escape the Medtrix, but WHETHER to escape.

You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.

Take the blue pill, continue along your current path. Take the red pill, and see what fascinating opportunities await you outside of, or in addition to, the confines of clinical medicine. One thing though: avoid the brown pill. Trust me on this.

Over the next few weeks and months I'd like to drag you through my own journey from pure clinician to…well, like any good sci-fi series you'll have to stay tuned to see what happens! Hang tight and together we'll see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

You have to let it all go, Neo. Fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free your mind. Welcome to the real world.

"Whoa."

Break Your Ideas In Half

This video is right on target with it's message about cutting all of your ideas in half and structuring your business to excel at the basics.

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Physician Testimonials

Who are the specialists are using 2nd MD right now?

• 5% of 2nd MD physicians have either studied, trained, or currently work at one of US News & World Report's top hospitals or specialty programs.
• 20% of 2nd MD doctors are chiefs or directors of their departments or hospital programs.

"You don't have to establish a chart. You don't have to establish billing. You can make contact and answer some questions without having to make a formal doctor-patient relationship."

Richard Andrassy, MD
Chairman, Department of Surgery
UTHealth Medical School &
Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center

"2nd MD gives me a chance to practice exactly the way I want to practice."

Stanley Fisher, MD
Board Certified Neurologist

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Free Webinar: "How To Add $100,000 In Profits To Your Medical Practice With Evidence-Based Nutritional Supplements"

Thinking of adding evidence based nutritional supplements to your practice?

Dr. Dean Raffelock has been teaching physicians how to benefit from evidence based nutritional supplements for years.

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In this webinar, Dr. Dean Raffelock will teach you how you can add an extra $50,000 - $100,000 in profits to your existing medical practice each year.

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• How to get started with NO cost and NO additional overhead!
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Dr. Dean Raffelock has been practicing evidence based nutritional medicine for 35 years and he's going to hold your hand and get you started. If you're in solo or group clinical practice and you want to take greater control of your business and your career, this is a webinar that you won't want to miss. Register right now!

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Doctor, Do You Have The Right Attitude?

Do you feel like you have nothing to show for the efforts you’ve put into your career change?

It’s easy to feel frustrated and lose motivation when nothing seems to be coming from all the work you put into things like Linked In, calling recruiters, revising your resume or networking.   

There are two possible reasons why things might not be working for you.  Maybe you are doing the right things but you lack a solid strategy.  Or perhaps you are doing everything right – but your attitude isn’t right.

I want to talk about the second scenario.
 First, let me explain what I mean by “attitude.” When you look at the people who successfully transition despite their own personal obstacles or any external obstacles (like a bad economy), the thing they typically have in common is an upbeat outlook.  They are engaged in their own personal success and motivated to move forward despite continued rejections or dead ends.  They are also serious about not projecting desperation. 

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Another Great Medical Fusion Conference

I just returned from presenting again this year at the 2011 Medical Fusion Conference - what I think is the best conference out there for physicians who are exploring non-clinical career options.

Once again it was a engaged group of docs who brought an openness and curiosity around "what else is out there" for themselves.  Held at the beautiful Aria Resort in Las Vegas, it also had a great faculty line-up, which included Dr. Barry Silbaugh, recently retired CEO of ACPE, who gave a great opening talk on "Leaving the Tribe" and why it is so difficult for many physicians to consider a move outside of clinical practice.  There was Dr. Ken Cohn, a fabulous speaker and all around great person who spearheads Healthcare Collaboration, got everyone on their feet and doing some hands-on activities during his two talks on "Should I Get An MBA?" and "Independent Consulting". Dr. Greg Bledsoe, the conference founder and Expedition Medicine expert, thrilled and grossed us all out with pictures of his many adventures in different countries and on different mountain tops.  Dr. Julie Silver, of Harvard Health Publications and an inspiring cancer survivorship advocate, spoke not only about writing and publishing a book, but she also got people fired up about how to get Information Products out on the web and making a difference!  These were just a few of the interesting and enlightening talks that were part of the two days.

My talk focused on the "how" of career transition, giving the physician participants a roadmap for making their process - and non-clinical landing place - a sustainable one.  It is always refreshing to get out in front of this group, and to help provide them with some tools for growth.  

I think my favorite part of the conference is watching the participant group connect with each other and feel the collective energy they build.  Given the fact that transitioning out of clinical practice is still somewhat of  a taboo subject among physicians, it is great to see the openness and shared momentum that the group picks up over the course of the three days. 

At the end of each conference my hope is that all of the great physicians I meet and talk to are able to maintain the clarity, focus and momentum that they build while they are in Las Vegas.  If anything, this conference gives everyone the chance to step back and assess their own professional direction, compare it with other peoples' paths, and think honestly if there is a better road for them than the one they are on... and if there is, start to make progress to make their goals - and true professional fulfillment - a reality.

For all of you that were there, I wish you best of luck in your career exploration and expansion into "post-clinical" work.

For those of you who weren't there, I hope we'll see you there next year!

Keep Your Goals To Yourself