Aug 21, 2018
Dr. Sue Zimmermann is an orthopedist with 24 years of clinical experience.
She graduated from Medical School at Brown University, then pursued orthopedic training at New England Medical Center. She practiced orthopedic surgey at Dartmouth Hitchcock Health System in Nashua, New Hampshire for 24 years.
She began to think about retiring, with the idea of slowing down and entering a nonclinical career. So, she searched for a career coach, ultimately working with physician career coach, Dr. Heather Fork. Listeners will recall that I interviewed Heather in Episode 18 of this podcast.
In today’s interview, Sue describes how she was planning and preparing for her transition. She unexpectedly lost her position at the health system, but her planning paid off. She was ready to make the shift.
She applied what she learned from her coaching, networked with colleagues, and identified several opportunities that fit her goals.
She is now working clinically doing outpatient orthopedics, teaching and writing. Her quality of life is excellent and her income is meeting her needs for this stage in her life.
I was really impressed by Sue’s ability to plan and to network, as she crafted a new phase in her career.
She provides a great example of how to effectively balance clinical and nonclinical work.
If you’d like to download a transcript of today’s interview, go to vitalpe.net/048download