Since it’s the last semester in our MBA, many of us are asking the question that’s on everyone’s mind: What’s Next? Some of my classmates are returning to residency sites for work, others are exploring their options or going elsewhere. While I’m hoping to return to my residency site (or the market!) I tend to be more fixated on what my long term goals are.
I realize the importance of what’s next in terms of my immediate future after graduation: the importance of getting my career started, earning an income, beginning to carve out my path, and to continuing to develop my skills. And while I am excited and a little nervous for graduation and for what is next in my immediate future, I am mostly excited about starting out on what I hope is a long and exciting career in healthcare.
I have always known that I belonged in healthcare. I wish that I could say why or pinpoint specific moments that caused me to “know”. I do have moments and experiences like that, but my drive to work in healthcare began before that, almost like an instinct. I truly cannot remember a time in my life where I didn’t feel as though I belonged in healthcare. Even in elementary school I proudly proclaimed I would be a physician one day. Although I am not currently working towards being a clinician, I still know that I am working towards goals that are “right” for me. I feel very lucky to know that I am working towards the right industry, that I belong in healthcare, but figuring out what I want to do long term is a much more challenging question. It’s also a question that I don’t feel I need an exact answer to.
I know that I will always want to be challenged, that I always will want to learn more, impact more people, and grow throughout my career. In life as a whole I tend to be a realist, but when it comes to my goals and my drive to learn I am much more of an idealist and a dreamer. I have lots of ideas and plans for my future-how those will change and develop throughout my life is very exciting to me. One of the best aspects of healthcare is just how dynamic it is and how much you can learn and experience if you choose to. Graduating and beginning work is a big what’s next, but my answer to “What’s Next?” goes far beyond what I see in my immediate future and I can’t wait to learn and grow as an individual and as a person who is dedicated to healthcare no matter what roles and hats I may wear along the way.
Erin