Are you feeling tired of working in healthcare, but aren’t sure what to do about it? Do you wish you could start a business, write a book or follow a dream, but are waiting for someone else to give you permission? You feel like you need someone else to tell you that “you can do it”, or that “it’s possible” before you get started. In this podcast episode, Dr. Keeyana Locke shares her story of giving herself permission and taking her career into her own hands. In this inspiring conversation we cover:
- How Keeyana came from truly humble beginnings and overcame multiple obstacles on her path to becoming a doctor
- Why she ultimately decided to leave her residency to advocate for her own wellbeing.
- The multiple careers and opportunities that have unfolded for her since leaving medicine, including becoming an author and writing a book!
This episode is such a beautiful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of following your own path. Keeyana’s energy is contagious and I absolutely cannot wait for you to hear her story.
Use the audio player above to listen, or tune in on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Keeyana’s Journey into the Medical Field
Inspired by the Cosby show, initially, becoming a doctor was all Keeyana wanted to do for her life. She had no clue that later on, down the road she would become tired of working in healthcare.
Born and raised in Baltimore and growing up as a black woman from a broken home, she came from truly humble beginnings. Struggling with a learning disability, she had a hard time keeping up academically. Even despite all of these obstacles, she continued to believe in herself.
Her story of becoming a doctor is an inspiring narrative of defeating the odds, despite the lack of appropriate support and resources. It emphasized the importance of persistence and always believing in yourself, especially when others don’t believe in you.
Keeyana shows everyone that we have to stop waiting for “other people’s permission” to be who we want to be. We are already worthy from the moment we were born. Most often, it is ourselves who are holding us back and limiting us.
It’s OK to Change If You are Tired of Working in Healthcare
Even with her rigorous journey to arrive in the medical field, there came a point in time when she was tired of working in healthcare. At that point, it could have been easy to make excuses as to why she couldn’t leave. There will always be excuses or hurdles that keep people from trying to achieve their goals.
“We use so many things as excuses for why we can’t lead the life we really want to lead. “
It’s especially challenging to reevaluate and change your goals once you already have so much momentum in one direction.
But change is possible. Making a successful transition takes courage which usually comes from believing in a Higher Power. When you are making a transition it’s also important to find integration so you can be yourself at all times. No need to play roles anymore.
Tired of Working in Healthcare with its Flawed System
By the time she got into residency, Keeyana realized all of the flaws within the healthcare system. She was trying hard to play the role of healer, but this came at the expense of her own well-being.
This particular norm is just one part of the toxicity in the system of the medical industry. There are hours of paperwork. Not enough time to see patients and a lack of support from the administration. When she was unable to take time off for life-saving surgery, that was the last straw. She was tired of working in healthcare and always having to put herself last.
The healthcare system is fractured beyond repair and medical professionals are the bandaids holding it together. Finally, she decided to leave residency and forge her own path. She resumed her position of teaching medical students and began following the Life After Medicine podcast which gave her hope.
Doctors are humans Too
As previously mentioned, there are huge flaws within the healthcare system that are negatively affecting the physical, mental and emotional well-being of medical practitioners. It’s no wonder so many medical professionals are becoming tired of working in healthcare.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The medical profession should not be about suffering and sacrificing your own personal welfare for the sake of healing others. Especially when you really aren’t healing others.
The system also fosters a lack of peer support among medical practitioners. We are afraid to ask for time off because we don’t want to be a burden to others, but this comes at our own expense.
There is a misconception that doctors are so self-sufficient they are above others. It’s to the point where people tend to forget that doctors are human too. They need the support and understanding of others, especially when they are going through hard times.
Making the Decision to Leave When You Tired of Working in Healthcare
Even though she was tired of working in healthcare, Keeyana had been through such a dramatic journey to become a doctor, it was hard to leave. However, she finally decided that she needed to leave her program when she realized the environment has gotten toxic.
She wanted to heal and feel better again. She was depressed, anxious, and stressed and realized that she needed to remove herself from the toxic situation in order to recover. that she never wanted to The decision did not come easy for her because she felt guilty for wasting all the investments her parents put in to fund her education.
However, now that she has some hindsight, she realizes her struggles within the medical field are part of her God-given purpose. Now she uses her journey to share lessons with other medical professionals who are tired of working in healthcare.
She recognizes the pain that she went through and now has a purpose. Her experience has helped her gain deep empathy and she is now able to help others heal through her writing.
