Never Stuck: How Doctors Can Find New Career Paths with Melissa McClung

Melissa McClung, M.S. didn’t have any plans to be a career coach when she began working at the career center at the University of Kansas Medical Center. But while there, Melissa fell in love with career coaching, and 12 years later, she’s established a niche helping doctors get into residencies and scientists decide whether they want to work in the field or academia.

In this episode of the Prosperous Doc®, our host Shane Tenny, CFP®, talks to Melissa about her work as a career coach, specifically in the realm of healthcare, medical, and science professionals. Melissa says that what draws her to this work is her ardent belief that everyone deserves to be in a job that uses their best and favorite skills, compensates them well, and gives them the time and energy to enjoy life outside of work.

💡 Featured Guest 💡

Name: Melissa McClung, M.S.

What he does: Melissa is a Professional Career Advisor and Owner at Life by Design Careers. She specializes in career coaching for healthcare, medicine, and science professionals, helping them figure out the next step on their career paths.  

Company: Life by Design Careers

Words of wisdom: “Ultimately, what we have to realize is that, as human beings, we have to grow in competency over time, and we need to look for ways to build that into our career journey so that we can stay fulfilled and stay true to that mission [that is] uniquely for ourselves.”

Connect: Email | LinkedIn 

⚡ Prosperous Insights ⚡

[06:26] Fatigue to fulfill: Shane discusses Melissa’s book, Mind Your Career: Job Search Like an Entrepreneur Without Becoming One, which talks about the reality of burnout and shifting from career fatigue to finding fulfillment. 

[08:29] Grow and change: Melissa believes it is part of human nature to yearn for growth and change. Her line of work allows her to help people find work that challenges them and keeps them engaged.

[10:40] Common denominator: When healthcare professionals come to Melissa seeking a career change despite the years of schooling and training they’ve put into their career, it is often because they feel they can no longer give enough time and attention to important things outside of work, such as family, health and passions. 

[12:32] Telling stories: Researcher Brené Brown talks about the “stories we tell ourselves,” which Melissa references in her book and her work. She asks clients who feel stuck or like they could never find a new job to rewrite their own story.  

[20:34] Start with the basics: One of the most common mistakes Melissa sees in her line of work is people thinking they need to hire someone to rewrite their resume when they haven’t decided on a specific job they are trying to target. 

[25:04] No burnt bridges: Melissa reassures her clients that searching for and starting a new career doesn’t damage the path they have already forged. She is not in the business of burning bridges but rather creating new ones for professionals to more openly navigate their own career. 

 

Disclaimer: Prosperous Doc podcast by Spaugh Dameron Tenny highlights real-life stories from doctors and dentists to encourage and inspire listeners through discussions of...

Melissa McClung, M.S. didn’t have any plans to be a career coach when she began working at the career center at the University of Kansas Medical Center. But while there, Melissa fell in love with career coaching, and 12 years later, she’s established a niche helping doctors get into residencies and scientists decide whether they want to work in the field or academia.

In this episode of the Prosperous Doc®, our host Shane Tenny, CFP®, talks to Melissa about her work as a career coach, specifically in the realm of healthcare, medical, and science professionals. Melissa says that what draws her to this work is her ardent belief that everyone deserves to be in a job that uses their best and favorite skills, compensates them well, and gives them the time and energy to enjoy life outside of work.

💡 Featured Guest 💡

Name: Melissa McClung, M.S.

What he does: Melissa is a Professional Career Advisor and Owner at Life by Design Careers. She specializes in career coaching for healthcare, medicine, and science professionals, helping them figure out the next step on their career paths.  

Company: Life by Design Careers

Words of wisdom: “Ultimately, what we have to realize is that, as human beings, we have to grow in competency over time, and we need to look for ways to build that into our career journey so that we can stay fulfilled and stay true to that mission [that is] uniquely for ourselves.”

Connect: Email | LinkedIn 

⚡ Prosperous Insights ⚡

[06:26] Fatigue to fulfill: Shane discusses Melissa’s book, Mind Your Career: Job Search Like an Entrepreneur Without Becoming One, which talks about the reality of burnout and shifting from career fatigue to finding fulfillment. 

[08:29] Grow and change: Melissa believes it is part of human nature to yearn for growth and change. Her line of work allows her to help people find work that challenges them and keeps them engaged.

[10:40] Common denominator: When healthcare professionals come to Melissa seeking a career change despite the years of schooling and training they’ve put into their career, it is often because they feel they can no longer give enough time and attention to important things outside of work, such as family, health and passions. 

[12:32] Telling stories: Researcher Brené Brown talks about the “stories we tell ourselves,” which Melissa references in her book and her work. She asks clients who feel stuck or like they could never find a new job to rewrite their own story.  

[20:34] Start with the basics: One of the most common mistakes Melissa sees in her line of work is people thinking they need to hire someone to rewrite their resume when they haven’t decided on a specific job they are trying to target. 

[25:04] No burnt bridges: Melissa reassures her clients that searching for and starting a new career doesn’t damage the path they have already forged. She is not in the business of burning bridges but rather creating new ones for professionals to more openly navigate their own career. 

 

Disclaimer: Prosperous Doc podcast by Spaugh Dameron Tenny highlights real-life stories from doctors and dentists to encourage and inspire listeners through discussions of professional successes and failures in addition to personal stories and financial wellness advice. Spaugh Dameron Tenny is a comprehensive financial planning firm serving doctors and dentists in Charlotte, NC. To find out more about Spaugh Dameron Tenny, visit our website at www.sdtplanning.com. You can also connect with our host, Shane Tenny, CFP at [email protected] or on Twitter.

Compliance code: CRN202507-2643038