Undertaking medicine and related study in the healthcare field is not for the faint-hearted. Many doctors, dentists, and nurses have dreamed of their career since childhood and are dedicated to their practice. As high achieving and hardworking individuals by nature, more and more medical professionals are pursuing passions beyond traditional medical practice, or indeed alongside these professions.
Case in point
Often, these interests and additional undertakings are related and complementary, as is the case with our very own Acquisition Aesthetics directors, and these practitioners continue to practice medicine either within the NHS or privately, whilst exploring their venture. Speaking on the conception of the thriving academy launched with co-founder Dr. Priyanka Chadha, Dr. Lara Watson says:
“The rationale for setting up Acquisition Aesthetics was very simple – not only is the cosmetic industry poorly regulated; which is unsafe for both patients and practitioners but in fact, the training is poorly regulated and can be poorly delivered.”
Find support
There are a number of NHS mentorship and support schemes available to medical professionals, from NHS Innovation – which invites healthcare pioneers from around the world to apply to develop and scale their tried and tested innovations across parts of the service, to NHS leadership – which supports individuals, organisations, and local partners to develop leaders; celebrating and sharing where outstanding leadership makes a real difference. Another available program is NHS Entrepreneurs, which offers clinical NHS staff and wider health professionals opportunities to develop their entrepreneurial aspirations during their clinical training period.
Professional mentorship, colleague support, and peer encouragement are all essential for bolstering the confidence and resources of any medical professional aspiring to success either within or outside the remit of their core practice.
Branching out
Interests can take more contrasting forms too and can give practitioners an additional avenue to explore their inherent drive, dedication, and aptitude for learning.
Dr. Will, a plastic surgery trainee, is a great example of a respected medical professional who has taken his passion for health and wellbeing and combined this with his medical expertise to create Dr. Will’s Sauces – a fresh and exciting brand, providing health-conscious sauces.
Others have found inspiration to support both the NHS and the struggling economy during the current pandemic. London doctor, Jack Manley collaborated with creative technology agency Rehab to build and launch a fundraising platform DeliverAid, which enables people to donate meals provided by local food businesses to frontline NHS workers.
Are you losing your spark?
Whilst some professionals are already exploring how else they could be using their time and skills, many more are perhaps unaware of the scope and possibility of branching out into other areas, or have the idea but don’t feel encouraged to pursue it.
Burn out is real, and sadly disenchantment within medicine is rife. It has even been reported that high numbers of doctors are considering leaving the profession once the threat of COVID is behind us. Speaking to The Independent, the BMA council chair Dr. Chaand Nagpaul said ‘We have been doing surveys throughout the pandemic, and over 30 percent of doctors are reporting mental health conditions such as anxiety, burnout, and depression at greater levels than before the pandemic.’
What’s the answer?
Current crisis aside, the nurturing and mentorship of our medical professionals is essential to enable them to reignite their passion and find success, joy, and fulfilment within their core practice, but also to feel encouraged to embrace diverse opportunities and explore additional revenue streams outside of traditional medicine.
There is a wellspring of rich and varied talent amongst medical professionals. Whilst it can seem daunting, many any are choosing to explore their creative and/or entrepreneurial sides through independent ventures and projects. Recent years have seen a paradigm shift towards the ‘portfolio career’, which is much more representative of the breadth of interest, initiative, and skill that exists within individuals. In addition, this helps engender greater contentment and increased agency over income and the ever-elusive work/life balance, and also creates a more sustainable economic structure as we find ourselves working for more years than ever before.
Keys to success
Dr. Priya Chadha offers words of encouragement to any doctor or medical professional considering embarking on an enterprise utilising their unique professional skillset, in aesthetics or otherwise – “Pursue your passion. It may seem obvious, but if you’re passionate about something, I assure you, with hard work and dedication, you’ll succeed at it. It shouldn’t feel like a chore. When you really enjoy something it doesn’t feel like work- that’s the key and dream for everyone! It doesn’t have to be a fantasy- give it your best shot, surround yourself with supportive positive people, and find a fantastic mentor.’
Considering aesthetics?
In recent years, many medical professionals have chosen to enter the exciting realm of facial aesthetics. With their clinical training and experience in patient care; doctors, dentists, and nurses are an obvious and safe choice for those seeking cosmetic injectable treatments. Scores of NHS and private practitioners are pursuing passions beyond traditional medical practice and discovering this with training for aesthetics medicine; complementing their existing clinical repertoire, and exponentially increasing their earning potential. If you’re interested in knowing how to become a cosmetic nurse , reach out to our friendly team to find the perfect aesthetics course for you. Email contact@acquisitionaesthetics.co.uk or call us on 020 3514 8757 to secure your place today.
