Being a doctor is a tough job and one that is very competitive. There are many people just waiting to take your place and willing you to mess up. These voices need to be forgotten and you need to focus on your career, but it can sometimes feel like your trudging through molasses. So here’s how you can improve your chances of landing your dream promotion.
Be Myopic
As a doctor you can’t afford to be affected by distractions. You need to focus on your dream role and head in that direction. When faced with a career decision, ask yourself, ‘Will this help me get that golden promotion?’ If the answer is no, then don’t do it. There will always be people waiting to throw you under the bus, don’t throw yourself there too.
Loud and Proud
Being good at your job might get you a promotion if you’re lucky. As with any job, if you want a promotion, chances are you are going to have to ask for it. Managers notice the bad employee and the good ones just get trusted to do a good job and then forgotten. Make sure they know where you want to end up and next time there is an opportunity, you’ll be the first person they think of.
Greener Pastures
People tend to get stuck in a good job and will put up with a lot of rubbish before they snap. Companies don’t offer lifelong roles anymore, so always be prepared to jump ship and get another job. Think of yourself as a contractor and not an employee then you’ll always be ready to use what you’ve learnt at your current employment and develop into a better employee somewhere else.
Take Risks
You never want to put patient’s lives in unnecessary danger but make sure you take safer risks. Yes, they might not all pay off, but when they do you will earn so many brownie points you’ll be drowning in good praise. Make sure you take note of every time you do something your manager likes, as they will eventually forget, but you can always remind them when it comes to promotion time.
Network
Networking is very important, however it’s more so in the world of doctors due to the close knit community. If you’re not known by the wider community, you’re going to find it difficult to advance. Make sure you use networking opportunities wisely and make professional friendships with doctors from other hospitals. You never know when a position will open up in a new hospitals and your name will be put forward.
Work With Not Against
You might want to impede the process of your rivals in the run up to the management roles; however that’s just going to create some very bitter enemies. Ensure you work with your fellow staff so that if they get the promotion instead of you they won’t treat you like an ant in need of burning with a microscope.
Qualifications
If after all the niceties have been attended do and you still don’t have the promotion you feel you deserve, then get better qualified. Get a Master in Public Health and give yourself a leg up on the competition. When they look to promote, they’re obviously going to look at the most qualified first.
If you’re a good doctor and you play by the rules but take some necessary risks, then you’ll be just fine and be the Chief of Medicine (I stole that title from Scrubs) in no time.
