How to Grow and Develop Within Your Medical Career

Updated on May 30, 2021

About 62% of people in the healthcare industry get a sense of identity from their jobs.

That’s a powerful statement about the connection that healthcare workers have to their jobs. You can continue to get challenged and develop your healthcare career.

That plan for development and growth keeps that identity strong within you. Read on to find out how to grow and take control of your medical career path.

1. Your Career Vision

Take time to assess your current career path. Write down things that you love about your work and things that you can do without. Ask yourself if there’s anything missing from your current position. Is there something that would make you more fulfilled in your work?

Also take into account lifestyle factors such as pay and when you have to work. Your job might require that you work the overnight shift at a hospital but that doesn’t work for your family.

Where do you see yourself in your medical career? The healthcare industry provides jobs that expand beyond doctors and nurses. You need to assess if now is the time to take your healthcare knowledge and apply it to a completely different field.

Based on this information, you can map out the next steps in your healthcare career.

2. Work Your Network

You probably have a great network of people who can help you, but you don’t realize it.

Reach out to people on social media and call them to see how they’re doing. Share your career path with them.

They might know of a company that needs to fill a position that’s perfect for you. 

3. Get Training

Do you need additional training to take the next step in your medical career? You’ll need to choose the right program that offers enough training to do the job with confidence.

Making the jump from the healthcare front lines to an IT role will require more training. You’ll be more aware of how technology can be utilized to deliver better patient outcomes.

What you may need to learn about is healthcare risk management. You can find additional information about that and learn why this is so important in healthcare.

Be sure to look at programs that have excellent job placement and career services. You’ll want to utilize them after your program.

3. Get a Mentor

A mentor is so much more than a person in your network. They’re a valuable resource who can guide you through the next step of your medical career.

It takes work to find the right mentor for you. Be clear about what you want the mentorship to be. That clarity sets up the expectations for you and the person mentoring you.

Don’t be afraid to ask people to mentor you. People are more than willing if you ask them.

Medical Career Development That Pays Off

You don’t want to go through years of work that no longer challenges you. Take control of your medical career and create a development path for yourself.

It starts with your vision. The tips in this article help you take the steps to make your vision a reality.

For more healthcare news, be sure to check out the other articles on this site.

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Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.