Friday's Digest - The Newsletter for Doctors & Scientists

Friday's Digest #153

Finding Your Niche
(or: What to Do After Finishing School or Residency)

Deciding what to do after completing your training is a huge deal.

Today I will share what I’ve learned.

August 1st, 2025

Friday's Digest - The Newsletter for Doctors & Scientists

For two decades, I've been developing tools that have improved my practice in medicine, dentistry, and scientific research.

Join me every Friday to discover a new tool you can integrate into your workflow as a doctor, a scientist, or both.

I believe in sharing knowledge, embracing automation, boosting productivity, and finding joy in the process.

Life Update

The comments I received on last week's newsletter made me smile.

If you missed it, I wrote about returning to writing on real paper and devoting 25% of my research time to creative thinking.

Let me answer some of your comments here:

No, I haven't abandoned my computer.

And no, I haven't given up my beloved time management system.

I still try to accomplish everything in the most productive way possible and in minimal time.

I've simply refined my approach.

I made it better by adding something for my soul 🧘 and enhancing my creativity 🤔.

And instead of typing on my computer, you might catch me typing on my typewriter.

Yes, I actually own a typewriter!

Unfortunately, it needs an overhaul, and I don't have time to fix it myself.

So if you know anyone who repairs or sells typewriters, let me know!

Number 153!

Tools and Tips

So you've completed your training.

You earned your PhD, graduated from med school, dental school, or any other professional program.

And now you need to decide what to do next.

Another round of training? Where do you want to work? What do you want to specialize in? Do you even need to specialize in something?

These are all good questions.

And today, I want to help you make sense of them.

When it comes to training, I've pretty much done it all.

I devoted an enormous amount of time to my training, lived abroad, and invested a lot of money in this process.

I've also given advice to countless people contemplating their career paths.

Along the way, I've noticed something interesting: Most people considering their next steps face 3 main options.

And today, we'll explore these 3 options.

Let's dive in:

🔵 Option 1: Follow Your Passion

Some people have a passion that perfectly aligns with their work.

Something they truly want to go for.

How do you know if you have a passion for something?

Simple—when you consider following your passion, nothing else matters.

You don't worry about the money. You don't care about promotion.

You just KNOW this is what you WANT to do.

Now, you don't need to have a passion for something after finishing school or residency.

But if you do—follow it!

Follow your passion and don't look back.

I was lucky enough to have a passion (making the immune system fight cancer).

And I feel I’ve made all the right decisions because of it.

🔵 Option 2: Seize The Opportunity

We've established that having a passion for something is terrific, but it's not a prerequisite.

You can do very well without having a passion for something.

Over the years, I’ve had countless conversations with people who received an offer but weren't sure whether to accept it.

These offers included positions, fellowships, residency spots, research opportunities abroad, and so on.

People were presented with opportunities that required financial sacrifice or moving their families abroad for several years.

What makes all these situations similar is that they represent once-in-a-lifetime offers.

And most of these people haven't realized exactly that: They truly are ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME offers.

You may never receive a similar offer again.

This could be your one shot.

It's extremely rare for people to regret saying YES to an opportunity.

It's very common for people to regret saying NO.

So please, pretty please, with a cherry on top—seize the opportunity.

🔵 Option 3: Never Say No

And then there's the third option.

A very (very) common scenario.

This applies to people who don't have a clear passion and haven't been presented with a specific opportunity.

What do you do after completing your training?

Simple.

Do anything.

Say yes to everything. Say no to nothing.

Take courses, give talks, and try new approaches in your practice.

Lean into your fears and challenge yourself with unfamiliar tasks.

Try this approach for 2 years.

After 2 years of never saying no, you'll either find your niche (something you truly enjoy), stumble upon an opportunity (because you've been open to everything), or become so experienced that you enjoy your work much more.

Two years is the sweet spot in professional development.

But remember:

The first 2 years are rough and challenging. It's only when you reach the other side that you realize how important it was to persist and say yes for the full 2 years.

Happy decision-making!