The Resource Guide to Help Psychiatrists Transition to Practice

Your initial transition to practice from being a student can be breathtaking. After all, juggling between exploring opportunities, running the business side of your practice, developing your reputation as a psychiatrist, and managing your career is no easy feat. At DirectShifts, we are aware of the unique challenges that you might face in each stage of your career. We have therefore compiled a list of resources that you might need to level up your early career game.

Paying off those student loans:

Several medical students pass out of med school with a massive debt to be paid off. Repaying your student loan is a commitment that you want to close within the first decade of your practice, so you can focus on becoming financially secure otherwise. Here are some resources to help you get your student loan sorted:

• Student Loan Refinance Solutions
• Speedy Repayment of Student Loan
• Strategies for Physicians to Pay off Student Loan

Negotiating your contracts:

Contract negotiations can be the most difficult phase of your early career as a psychiatrist. Since people generally wish to avoid conflicts, they shy away from negotiating what they truly deserve. However, negotiating early on in your career can have a massive impact on your career and your life savings. Here are a few resources to help you negotiate your contract effectively during your transition to practice:

• Contract Negotiation Strategies (1)
• Contract Negotiation Strategies (2)

Career resources for life-long learning:

As a psychiatrist, you will need to be updated with the latest trends, research and findings in order to help your patients better. It is therefore important that you subscribe to courses that are exclusive for you as a psychiatrist on a regular basis. The American Psychiatric Association (APA), for example, provides free access to on-demand courses on popular topics every month. Here are some member courses from the APA for members:

• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Suicidal Tendencies
• Computational Psychiatry
• Pain Management Without Opioids  

Development of soft skills:

While medical school builds your expertise as a psychiatrist, you will need to go the extra mile to hone your soft skills, communication, and leadership skills to shine as a respected psychiatrist in your professional circles. The APA also provides free access to its leadership program to help you work on these critical skills and easily transition to practice.

• Physician Leadership Program

Remember, your learning does not end with med school. In order to future-proof your career, you must be a life-long learner. For similar resources, subscribe to our blog and receive regular career updates.