Combine what you love, what you are good at to find your ‘true north’ in GI career
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RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. — Evaluate your values, talent and priorities to find the “true north” in your gastroenterology career, a speaker told attendees at the Scrubs and Heels Summit.
“We talked about the corporate ladder, and it’s really ingrained in us because of the way our academics progress in this systematic way: We go to college, then we go to med school, we do residency and fellowship,” Christina Tennyson, MD, a gastroenterologist at Augusta Health in Fishersville, Virginia, said. “Then oftentimes you decide between private practice and going forward for partnership, community leadership and publications if you go the academic route.
“But there are all these other ways that are much healthier, more adaptive and a better way to think about our careers.”
One way, Tennyson noted, is to identify what motivates you, how you achieve personal development and what makes you feel happy and fulfilled — that is how you find your purpose.
“This is a concept called ikigai — it is a Japanese philosophy that refers to your life’s worth,” she said. “The idea is that you’re combining what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs and what you can get paid for.”
To find your ikigai, Tennyson advised attendees to consider the following:
Identify what makes you joyful and what you’re good at.
Know your character strengths with the help of your mentors and “friendtors.”
Ask where you want to go in your career and what can turn into a long-term path.
Put together a list of your values and choose your top three.
Craft a mission statement that explains what you do, how you do it and why.
“Resources are limited; time is limited,” she said. “Think about jobs you need to do: your family, your work, your personal health, your well-being and community. Once you figure out what is important to you, you don’t have to apologize to anyone.”
Tennyson also recommended enlisting the help of your network to explore what is out there, share what you are interested in and pilot “little experiments” to see what sticks. You can also use professional societies and organizations or a career coach if needed.
“Think about your values, your talents and your priorities,” she said. “Make time and space for yourself.”
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Tennyson C. Finding your true north in gastroenterology. Presented at: Scrubs and Heels Summit; Feb. 17-19, 2023; Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
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