Life After Residency: Seven Tips On How To Succeed

Vlad Dzhashi, MD

Congratulations! You’re nearly there…

The late nights and moments of exhaustion and triumph in medical school and your residency program are nearing an end. You are about to complete your training and officially become a highly skilled medical professional.

Ahh…I still remember how excited I was in the third year of my internal medicine residency, going for job interviews and contemplating what I’d do with all the spare time and the money I’dbe making as a hospitalist.

Besides feeling excited, I was also feeling somewhat anxious about what comes next. I was inundated with headhunters, as well anecdotes and suggestions from my fellow residents.

Now, what I realized long before my graduation, was that I’d need at least a year to plan for the three biggest things after residency: my career, my finances and my lifestyle.

Career options after residency

First, you need to decide on how you see your career after residency.

Do you want to continue your training and apply for a fellowship? Do you want to start practicing, and if yes, decide if you want to take a full-time or part-time job or locum tenens?

Fellowship.

During your final year in residency you will likely decide whether you will pursue additional training. It is always possible to return to fellowship later if you’re unsure, but it is probably simpler and more accessible now or after your chief resident year.

Practice.

Many head directly into practice (many recruiters will hope you do just that!). Consider what type of work in what healthcare setting and in what location.

In the first years post-residency, you have many options. You may start your own private practice, work for a hospital system or large group, head straight into non-clinical work without patient care or even start a business. Your medical education and residency training prepared you for any number of satisfying careers.

Also, consider hiring an employment attorney to review any offers of employment and your malpractice insurance options. Keep in mind that an employment contract is a negotiation, and you’re in the driver’s seat now!

Locum tenens.

If you’re unsure of what type of job you’d want, it may be a good idea to start with locum tenens first to try out different work settings for a year or two.

Finances after residency

👉 This is a big one: you DO want to start planning your finances as early as possible.

Things like, how are you going to pay off your student loan after residency? and how are you going to achieve a “proverbial” financial independence?

There are lots of personal factors that will come into play and that will determine which road you want to take here.

The prevailing idea popularized by a lot of doctor blogs is that you must “live like a resident” even after graduation with the hope of retiring early.

I find this idea to be troublesome.

First of all, do you really hate being a doctor so much that you want to work only for 10-20 years?

Second, our lifestyle in residency isn’t particularly enjoyable. In my residency years I didn’t have time and I couldn’t afford the thing I enjoyed doing the most: traveling.

So to continue living like a resident for another gazillion years sounded like pure torture to me.

I’ve also heard a lot of stories of doctors working hard until finally retiring in their 50’s and then suddenly dying from a heart attack on their sailboat somewhere in the Caribbean a few months later.

No bueno…

So my word of wisdom is that although you want to be reasonably frugal and smart about your expenses, you MUST spend money on things you enjoy, whether it’s a hobby, traveling the world or something else you really take pleasure in doing.

Lifestyle after residency

Another big consideration is your lifestyle.

There are endless options here! You can pick and choose where you want to live, as this time is a great time to move! Many of you will have ideas of where you’d like to live. Use this time as an opportunity to explore a new, exciting location or move to a place where you feel you belong.

I’m not going to list the multitude of lifestyle options here, as it all depends on your preferences and your life situation. Just make sure you think about what support system — both professionally and personally—you will need during this time.

With that said, my take-home message for you is the following: no matter what job you choose and where you live, you HAVE to take care of your health.

And I don’t only mean you have to exercise and eat healthy, but also that you must avoid burnout.

So if you’ve ever found yourself in a “toxic” work environment that makes you miserable, it’s time to quit and move on. There are always better job opportunities out there; you’ve got the whole world to explore.

Regardless of the career and lifestyle choices you’ll make, life after residency is a time of exciting transition and the beginning of a rewarding career. Make this a period of learning, but also of fun and enjoyment, by following my helpful tips.

Life after residency: seven tips to succeed

Take some time out for yourself.

Take some time to bask in your achievement. Whether you love to be pampered in a spa or take in nature in the mountains or relax with a book on the beach, do it.

And don’t forget to spend time with family and friends. They have made this incredible journey with you. Now is the time to celebrate them as well.

Get the Boards done.

The Boards can loom over this time like an unwanted shadow. Plan when to sit for your boards. Don’t panic, but don’t wait too long since most employers have a time limit within which they want you to complete them. Attend a course for some undistracted study time, prepare independently, whatever works.

Get done with it and move on!

Don’t stop learning.

You may shelf the texts, but pick one or two journals and keep up. Pick a conference or two to attend.

Keep track of all your CME’s.

Unless you love that time in your life when you stayed up all night for freshman English papers because you waited ‘til the last minute, just start your CME log today. When you have to renew your license, you will again thank yourself.

Develop and keep your network.

Stay friendly with your neighboring specialists, the emergency room folks, anyone who will refer to you or to whom you will refer. Pick up the phone and chat about cases. Drop a note in the chart and thank your colleagues for their referral.

Don’t lose touch with your former fellow medical students, residents, attendings, program director since having a wide-reaching network is never a bad thing. Friendly faces are key for your next job search or patient transfer.

Don’t neglect yourself.

Many new physicians might rush to the Ferrari store, but others will work doggedly to prove themselves. Don’t do either. Find that work-life balance.

The time of free residency food is over. It’s now the best time to pick up a sport or physical activity that you will enjoy. It’s time to pick up healthy habits that will keep you healthy.

Remember: your well-being is your most important asset!