LIMITLESS Leaders Podcast Series Season Four-Episode 16: Evolutions in Your Practice

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This episode of the Limitless Leaders podcast features Dr. Sabrina Drexel and Dr. Lisa Wu discussing career transitions in surgery, especially moving between academic, private practice, and employed models. Dr. Wu describes leaving a 17-year academic career at Penn for solo private practice in Florida, driven by her husband’s career move. She reflects on the challenges of rebuilding her practice, the loneliness of solo work, and the steep learning curve of running a business. Dr. Drexel shares her experience building a focused general surgery practice in private practice, then transitioning to an employed model because she wanted to spend less energy on business management and more on teaching and her clinical interests.<br /><br />Both guests stress the importance of support systems, mentorship, asking questions, and building referral networks. They discuss practical strategies for growing a practice, including networking with physicians, maintaining a strong online presence, and collecting patient reviews. The conversation also covers contract negotiation, financial planning, and deciding when a practice model is no longer the right fit. Their main message: surgeons should regularly reassess their goals, stay open to change, and move toward careers that align with their personal and professional priorities.

Keywords

career transitions

surgery practice models

academic medicine

private practice

employed physician model

practice management

mentorship and support

referral networks

contract negotiation