ENTtoday
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

Career Shift: Mid-career mentors can help you change course

by Gina Shaw • November 1, 2010

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

Like many physicians, otolaryngologists at mid-career may experience some form of burnout and be looking to make a professional shift. Indeed, a study published in the Annals of Surgery last year found that otolaryngologists had high rates of career burnout that paralleled those of trauma and vascular surgeons (Annals of Surgery. 2009;250(3):463-471).

You Might Also Like

  • Career Assessments Align Professional, Personal Goals
  • Resident Tips: Private and academic practitioners offer career advice
  • Challenges and Rewards of a Physician Executive Career
  • Avoiding Career Burnout Can Be a Challenge for Otolaryngologists
Explore This Issue
November 2010

One way for an active clinician to make a change mid-career is to shift from a heavy clinical practice to a more administrative role.

“When someone is well into their career, building a practice may not be as high a priority as defining the nuances of practice,” said Myles Pensak, MD, professor and chair of otolaryngology at the University of Cincinnati. “For a number of physicians, boredom sets in. There’s a routinization, and a mid-career change can invigorate them. It allows physicians to take skill sets from surgery, including timeliness, thoughtfulness, discipline and organizational management, and apply them in systems such as a college of medicine, hospital or health system.”

The key to changing course is to start with the right mentor, Dr. Pensak said. Mentors are often identified as key for junior faculty and otolaryngologists just beginning their careers, but they can be just as important for a more senior surgeon looking to make a change.

The type of mentor you may seek for a mid-career shift can be summed up with one initial question: Can you identify individuals who have already made the change you want to make?

“At the end of the day, most people know one or two colleagues who have gone through a transformative process or thrown out a wider net as to what it is they’re doing,” Dr. Pensak said. “Seek these people out.”

What if you don’t know anyone who’s made such a move? Pick up the phone and make some calls, Dr. Pensak said. Ask colleagues if they know of anyone who’s moved from a predominantly clinical practice to a role in hospital or academic leadership.

Another resource is the Triological Society. “A cornerstone of the society is that you have a group of senior, highly experienced, diversely backgrounded individuals who are available to tap into,” Dr. Pensak said. “Try people within the [American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery], and people in your residency programs. If you’re already in an academic medical center, seek out the wisdom of your chair, or the head of your department at your hospital.”

Myles Pensak, MD“When someone is well into their career, building a practice may not be as high a priority as defining the nuances of practice.”
—Myles Pensak, MD

Experience You Need

Taking on a role in administrative leadership at an academic medical center, hospital or specialty society requires more than just a good mentor. It calls for experience beyond the surgical suite and clinical practice. Such experience is actually fairly easy to get if you’re willing to donate your time.

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Career Development, Departments Tagged With: academic otolaryngology, administration, burnout, career, career coaching, career-shift, mentorshipIssue: November 2010

You Might Also Like:

  • Career Assessments Align Professional, Personal Goals
  • Resident Tips: Private and academic practitioners offer career advice
  • Challenges and Rewards of a Physician Executive Career
  • Avoiding Career Burnout Can Be a Challenge for Otolaryngologists

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Experts Delve into Treatment Options for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Weaning Patients Off of PPIs
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • New Developments in the Management of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Eustachian Tuboplasty: A Potential New Option for Chronic Tube Dysfunction and Patulous Disease
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • COVID-19 Impacts on Physician Contracts
    • Do Perioperative Systemic Corticosteroids Improve Cochlear Implant Hearing Preservation?
    • Is Betahistine Effective in the Treatment of Ménière’s Disease?
    • What Is the Role of Radiofrequency Ablation for Benign Thyroid Nodules?
    • Is Preoperative Computed Tomography Necessary for Primary Stapes Surgery?

Polls

Do you ever talk about politics with your patients during appointments?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2021 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.