Do you think it’s possible to quit residency and do work you love? If you hang out with me long enough, you absolutely will. That’s what happened for this week’s podcast guest, Altynay. She joined one of my group coaching programs in April of this year. Before joining she was working as a general surgery resident dealing with increasing burnout and feelings of emptiness. Although she was working in her dream career, she still felt like something was missing.
In this episode we talk about:
- How a migraine and a visit to an Osteopath helped Altynay release the expectations of others and start living life for herself
- How working in my group coaching program helped her overcome her fears to quit residency and chart a clear path forward.
- Switching from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset
- Pursuing her dreams of becoming a true healer and having her own healing clinic
You are going to love Altynay’s perspective on working in the medical system in Khazakstan and her inspiring story of freeing herself to pursue her dreams.
This is one you don’t want to miss! And if you love her story, and want a success story of your own, I invite you to come to join us in Authentic Career Alignment, my new group coaching program.
Use the audio player above to listen, or tune in on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Practicing Medicine in Kazakhstan
Altynay enjoyed the program of the medical school she attended that was based on Western medical programs. When she was finally beginning her residency practice in the Kazakh community, she felt culture shock returning to her own country’s culture. She was accustomed to dealing with westernized themes and concepts and so she had to transition to Kazakhstan’s medical system. The medical system in Kazakhstan is very comparable to the American medical system in terms of the excessive burden of workload and responsibilities. She chose the specialty of general surgery specialty because she thought it would be exciting for her and that it would fit her personality and interests.
However, after some time, she became overwhelmed with too much work and had the desire to quit residency. Eventually, she felt bored and found it hard to find happiness in her work. She was lost and living a life that was based on what someone else wanted for her.
Finding Help to Quit Residency
Altynay needed help and encouragement to quit residency. She came across Chelsea’s website (coachchelsmd.com) because she was doing an internet search on “quitting medicine.” From there, she listened to the Life After Medicine podcast and bought the book on Amazon, which she read and finished in just a few hours. They met through Instagram when Altynay reached out to Chelsea through a very lengthy comment on one of her posts.
It was a satisfying feeling to find that Chelsea’s story could resonate with medical practitioners who are living far off in another country. When Altynay received an email from Chelsea that talked about her group coaching program, the message resonated deeply with her. They connected through a phone call and before long Altynay joined the group program, despite her initial apprehensions due to cultural differences.
Discovering Her True Passions
The program allowed Altynay to discover more about herself and analyze her feelings and situation. She became aware of her true aspirations as a doctor; and learned about her dream to be a healer instead of a healthcare system worker.
Working through the group coaching program was a form of detective work that completely transformed her life and helped her make the decision to quit residency. She learned to conquer her fear of disappointing others and becoming a failure to her family and community.
Before going through the program, she was afraid of upsetting her family and scared to make a decision that may have a negative impact on others.
“At first I thought “If I do not become a doctor everyone around me will suffer”, but then I realized that by continuing to follow this path, the only person suffering was me.”
Altynay Adbi
However, she finally recognized that in the midst of all her fears, it was she who was the one truly suffering and really in need of help. In order to overcome the fears, she began with small steps. Ultimately she realized that she needed to be her best self before she could give her best service to anyone else.
Making the decision to quit residency
The decision to quit residency did not come instantly. She had to build her confidence very slowly to be bold about this difficult decision. Over time, she began to work on herself more and find time for self-care and healing.
The healthcare system makes it difficult to quit residency because it creates a lack of peer support among medical practitioners. Everyone fears being a burden to others and instead suffers at their own expense. There is a misconception that doctors are self-sufficient superheroes. People tend to forget that they are human too and that they need the support and understanding of others.
She Quit Residency to Become a Healer
After learning about her passion for addressing traumas, she began to expand her knowledge on the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). She reached out to the founder of EFT and signed up for a course about it. Additionally, she is participating in the Biology of Trauma Summit which deals with emotional trauma. Overall, she quit residency in order to fulfill her dream to become a true healer.
