About a decade ago, Yu-Po Lee, MD, made the decision to move from the University of California San Diego to the University of California Irvine. He shared the factors that went into that decision, along with advice for other spine surgeons considering a career move.
Note: This response was lightly edited for clarity.
Question: What's the hardest financial decision you had to make in your career? How did you approach it?
Dr. Yu-Po Lee: The hardest financial decision that I had to make in my career was approximately 10 years ago when I decided to leave my previous position at UCSD to go to UC Irvine. I had been at UCSD for 10 years and had a very good practice and had made many friends at UCSD. However, I was contacted by a friend who was the chairman at UC Irvine at that time to come and help them grow the program. This was a very difficult decision for me because I was very comfortable at UCSD and continuing at that position for another 10 to 20 years would have been very easy to do. I am happy to say that things have turned out very well here at UC Irvine. There were some things that I considered at that time that may be good to share with people who may be thinking about changing practices.
First of all, I knew that I would have the support of the people there because I knew many of the staff at UC Irvine. That is something that is very important to consider when changing positions. You can only do so much on your own. If you have a group of people who are invested in your success, there is a good chance that you will eventually find success in your new job. Also, I was asked to join them because one of their surgeons was leaving and they needed someone to help fill the void. I knew that I would be joining a practice where my services would be needed. So, that was something that helped me with my decision. I would not have to go and start a practice from scratch. This was a well-established practice that needed someone to come in and see patients. Knowing that helped me with my decision also.
Lastly, I was given a salary guarantee for two years. This also helped me with my decision because I knew that I could take my time and build my practice over time. So my advice to those people who are looking to change jobs is to take a few things into consideration. Do not leave because you are looking to get away from your current practice. Instead, find a job that is so good that it makes you want to leave the position that you are at. Next, make sure that there will be people there that you can go to who can help you. Having support at your new position who ease the transition and make it more likely that you will be happier and find success at your new position. Also, it is best to go to a position that has a patient base that needs your services. It is difficult to go to a practice that does not have a steady referral base and where you will have to take business from established practices. Having a salary guarantee is very helpful to be sure that you can build your practice over time.