I ended up taking 32 weeks of call over a year and pushed myself to extreme limits working some ridiculous hours, doing some insane cases, and making the most of my IR training. The year was one of significant personal, professional and financial growth. I approached this position doing what I could to be as helpful as possible and at the same time working as much as I could safely handle to both maximize my revenue potential and continue to improve my skills as an IR. I was lucky to introduce prostate artery embolization to two willing colleagues who were interested in improving their skills. Being forced to deal with the usual hospital work and rekindle dormant skills in the form of VTE intervention, portal hypertension work, and bleeders of all varieties forced me to adapt. I got to meet three of the best colleagues I have ever worked with in my life: Two senior IRs who have been around the block and a PA of my vintage, all of whom are humble, and supportive and were looking to work with someone interested in supporting a growing clinical practice. Working locums in Minnesota was a game changer for me. As I look back on this experience and the rollercoaster ride that was 20, I thank my lucky stars. Before you knew it, I had a busy schedule practicing on my terms, and making a good living. I decided to extend my contract another 12 months.įull-time hospital work was too much for me to stomach, so I structured my schedule to what amounted to a ⅔ FTE position and rounded out the remaining weeks by directly contracting with OBLs. First, I interviewed at 5 different OBLs in the Southeast and came to the same realization each time that I was tired of making other people rich when I’m fully capable of running my own practice, and two, I enjoyed working locums with a great cast of characters up north. I knew nothing about locums, or the Upper Midwest other than the movie “Fargo.” I went to what seemed like the North Pole, committing to three months of locums in Minnesota while I would search for a new OBL opportunity closer to home. So I made a move, quite randomly, to clear my mind and just try something new while I was in a place in my life with the bandwidth to do so. I should probably do an entire post on long-distance relationships and the Guantanamo-Bay-like cruelty of academic vascular surgery (talk about a culture problem). My wife was set to move away for fellowship in a location we had no intention of settling in long-term. I no longer live my life worrying about “them,” but before reaching this realization I needed a literal escape. I was capable of so much more.Īt the end of the day, an argument about the legality of my content tends to be a petty he-said/she-said time, money, and energy suck which gets away from my true mission which is to promote a future of physician entrepreneurship. Simultaneously, I realized I was selling myself short. Long story short, I was not happy with the direction of the business nor my prospects for future growth, despite what was a growing and robust practice in which I took a lot of pride. I subsequently had to remove this heartfelt, and authentic material after being accosted by a lawyer (greetings, friend). I previously documented, in extensive and colorful detail, my OBL experience and what led to my exit. I enjoy helping others through entrepreneurship.This experience taught me a few key things: After all this hard work, why is this happening to me? It’s amazing how easy it is to feel defeated at that moment, but in hindsight what an absolute blessing in disguise. When things took a turn in my business partnership I couldn’t help but feel frustrated. I had the privilege of helping hire over 15 employees, some of whom remain good friends, and being introduced to the highs and lows of business ownership. While I was only a minority owner and I ended up moving on, I took a lot of pride in the success of the business and supporting my partner. From the days during the middle of the pandemic visiting the site as it was being built out to spending countless hours marketing, and even doing other random things like making Costco runs for patient snacks, assembling furniture, or creating the clinic intake forms and order sheets. I couldn’t help but think about the process of being involved in OBL development. It has been over a year since I left an OBL to pursue locums.
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