[Note: this post is a continuation to the post Should I quit?]
So, you’re thinking of quitting.
What are your options? This would depend on your answers to the following questions:
- What do you want to do? Are you still going to stick to clinical work?
- If you’re still passionate about clinical medicine, what field of medicine do you hope to venture into?
- Is this particular field available to you locally or overseas?
For the majority of us, resigning from the Ministry of Health often means that we will not have any routes to advance further in our clinical careers to specialist level, thanks to the Ministry’s monopoly on specialist training and gazettement. Those who would want to continue to train in their fields of interest might therefore have to look to other countries for opportunities (but be aware that they may not necessarily be greener pastures – tread with caution).
Be sure to do some research into the specialisation pathways in the country you’re thinking of relocating to, to ensure that you won’t be similarly stuck once you’re there. If you’re interested in a field which is available locally (aesthetic medicine comes to mind), then of course remaining on home ground would be advantageous.
Some people have asked my opinion regarding the option of moving into the private sector locally. I would say that it is a valid option too IF you have a proper long-term stable plan, i.e. start your own clinic, resident MO at private hospital, take Masters in Health Administration and move into management, etc.
But if the plan is to quit and just do locum for the foreseeable future, I would strongly suggest you to please reconsider this plan. I anticipate that even more of our colleagues will be exiting the public healthcare system in the next few years, such that ad hoc locum jobs might be very limited in time to come. In comparison, as lousy as the MOH working environment is, you are almost guaranteed a position since the government needs to ensure continuous service provision to the public.
I cannot emphasize enough on the importance of adequate career planning, regardless the path you choose. All the best!
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