Hospitalist Career Goals Should Flow from Passion and Purpose

By Surinder Yadav, MD

For many new or job-changing hospitalists, finding your next position may be your main focus. It’s easy to imagine that once you land a job, the rest of your career will fall easily into place.

But hospital medicine is demanding stuff, and you can get so busy meeting the needs of others that you lose sight of your own. Eventually survival mode kicks in, and your drive and passion begin to fade.

In order to maintain a sense of forward momentum and job satisfaction, it helps to set annual goals. What could you accomplish this year that would really get you excited about your career? What skills could take your practice to the next level? Are your current actions in sync with your values and life purpose?

Here are some tips I've learned through the years:

Base goals on your passion

To get the most satisfaction from your career, start by identifying your passion. Why did you select medicine as a career, and how does it relate to your life purpose? Once you are clear on what motivates you to get up in the morning, you can set your goals to help drive and sustain that passion.

Set goals that are measurable

If you don’t have goals you can measure, it’s too easy to let them slide when you get busy with other obligations. Examples of some measurable goals I’ve set for my own career include taking leadership courses in project management and people management.

Once you’ve established your goals and determined how you will measure your progress and success, create a timeline for achieving each milestone. Also, consider finding an accountability partner who will check in with you now and then to make sure you're on track.

Be realistic

Goals that are admirable but not attainable are a waste of the paper they are written on. Make sure you have the resources you need to achieve your specific goals so that you have no roadblocks to success.

A final thought: One of the benefits of working for a physician partnership like Vituity is flexibility. You'll have more leeway to create a work schedule that allows you time for yourself. Work-life balance is great for your career longevity, and we believe it’s also good for your patients. When you feel rested and fulfilled, you have more energy and compassion to give to others.

Surinder Yadav, MD, is Vituity’s Vice President of Hospital Medicine Operations.

To learn more about satisfying medical careers at Vituity, please visit http://www.vituity.com/careers.

By Surinder Yadav, MD

For many new or job-changing hospitalists, finding your next position may be your main focus. It’s easy to imagine that once you land a job, the rest of your career will fall easily into place.

But hospital medicine is demanding stuff, and you can get so busy meeting the needs of others that you lose sight of your own. Eventually survival mode kicks in, and your drive and passion begin to fade.

In order to maintain a sense of forward momentum and job satisfaction, it helps to set annual goals. What could you accomplish this year that would really get you excited about your career? What skills could take your practice to the next level? Are your current actions in sync with your values and life purpose?

Here are some tips I've learned through the years:

Base goals on your passion

To get the most satisfaction from your career, start by identifying your passion. Why did you select medicine as a career, and how does it relate to your life purpose? Once you are clear on what motivates you to get up in the morning, you can set your goals to help drive and sustain that passion.

Set goals that are measurable

If you don’t have goals you can measure, it’s too easy to let them slide when you get busy with other obligations. Examples of some measurable goals I’ve set for my own career include taking leadership courses in project management and people management.

Once you’ve established your goals and determined how you will measure your progress and success, create a timeline for achieving each milestone. Also, consider finding an accountability partner who will check in with you now and then to make sure you're on track.

Be realistic

Goals that are admirable but not attainable are a waste of the paper they are written on. Make sure you have the resources you need to achieve your specific goals so that you have no roadblocks to success.

A final thought: One of the benefits of working for a physician partnership like Vituity is flexibility. You'll have more leeway to create a work schedule that allows you time for yourself. Work-life balance is great for your career longevity, and we believe it’s also good for your patients. When you feel rested and fulfilled, you have more energy and compassion to give to others.

Surinder Yadav, MD, is Vituity’s Vice President of Hospital Medicine Operations.

To learn more about satisfying medical careers at Vituity, please visit http://www.vituity.com/careers.

By Surinder Yadav, MD

For many new or job-changing hospitalists, finding your next position may be your main focus. It’s easy to imagine that once you land a job, the rest of your career will fall easily into place.

But hospital medicine is demanding stuff, and you can get so busy meeting the needs of others that you lose sight of your own. Eventually survival mode kicks in, and your drive and passion begin to fade.

In order to maintain a sense of forward momentum and job satisfaction, it helps to set annual goals. What could you accomplish this year that would really get you excited about your career? What skills could take your practice to the next level? Are your current actions in sync with your values and life purpose?

Here are some tips I've learned through the years:

Base goals on your passion

To get the most satisfaction from your career, start by identifying your passion. Why did you select medicine as a career, and how does it relate to your life purpose? Once you are clear on what motivates you to get up in the morning, you can set your goals to help drive and sustain that passion.

Set goals that are measurable

If you don’t have goals you can measure, it’s too easy to let them slide when you get busy with other obligations. Examples of some measurable goals I’ve set for my own career include taking leadership courses in project management and people management.

Once you’ve established your goals and determined how you will measure your progress and success, create a timeline for achieving each milestone. Also, consider finding an accountability partner who will check in with you now and then to make sure you're on track.

Be realistic

Goals that are admirable but not attainable are a waste of the paper they are written on. Make sure you have the resources you need to achieve your specific goals so that you have no roadblocks to success.

A final thought: One of the benefits of working for a physician partnership like Vituity is flexibility. You'll have more leeway to create a work schedule that allows you time for yourself. Work-life balance is great for your career longevity, and we believe it’s also good for your patients. When you feel rested and fulfilled, you have more energy and compassion to give to others.

Surinder Yadav, MD, is Vituity’s Vice President of Hospital Medicine Operations.

To learn more about satisfying medical careers at Vituity, please visit http://www.vituity.com/careers.