Career health check: essential at all stages of your medical career
AMA Victoria’s career coaching service has experienced increased demand over the past 12 months from doctors, at all stages of their career, wanting to undergo a ‘career health check’.
Many doctors come wanting to answer one or many questions. Some of the more common questions are:
- Am I doing work that stimulates and engages me?
- Is the mix of work that I am doing the right mix?
- Is my work environment supportive?
- Is my role structured in a way the meets my needs?
- Am I working too much or too little?
- Do I have positive and supportive professional relationships at work / outside of work?
- Where do I see myself in 10 years and what do I need to do to get there?
- Do I want to be a doctor anymore?
- What else can I do with my medical training?
- I am looking to retire – how do I transition from medicine?
A career health check involves a doctor working with our careers advisor in a formal coaching relationship, with the purpose of creating space to ‘reflect and review’ on their career, to identify opportunities for development and transition and to formalise a plan to achieve their personal and professional goals. This is done in a safe, supported and non-judgmental environment - which is something that for many is absent in their workplace.
Career coaching sessions are conducted in person at AMA House in Parkville and are for a duration of one hour. For many doctors one coaching session is adequate to complete a career health check. For other doctors it may require two to four coaching sessions depending on the complexity and needs of the individual.
For some the career health check confirms they are on the right path, however for others it highlights that substantial change is required.
A career health check is different from a formal employer lead role/performance appraisal. The key difference being that a career health check sits outside of a specific role, workplace and craft group and is holistic, taking a helicopter view of your professional life, while encompassing both personal and professional aspirations and goals.
In a perfect world we would advise that a career health check be done once a year, but every second or third year can be effective as well.
Mardi O’Keefe
Careers & Pathways Coordinator
