🎯 The 10-Year Career Pivot: When to Stay, When to Leave, When to Build
Year 10 hit me like a sledgehammer. Same OT. Same rounds. Same ₹3 lakh monthly that felt like ₹30 lakh five years ago.
That's when I realised: The 10-year mark isn't a milestone. It's a trap.
You know that senior surgeon who's been at the same hospital for 25 years? Still doing the same surgeries, earning the same percentages, complaining about the same politics?
That's your future if you don't pivot at Year 10.
After watching 100+ careers implode or explode at the decade mark, here's the brutal truth about surgical career pivots:
The 10-Year Delusion
By Year 10, you think you've made it.
- Steady income (that's not growing)
- Respected position (that's not evolving)
- Comfortable routine (that's killing your potential)
Meanwhile, inflation ate 40% of your purchasing power while you celebrated your "stability."
Your batch mate who everyone called "crazy" for leaving? He's earning 5x your salary running his own setup.
The Three Paths at Year 10
Path 1: The Stayer (70% choose this)
"Just 20 more years till retirement"
"Devil you know is better"
"Starting fresh is too risky now"
Reality check: Hospitals know you're trapped. They'll squeeze you for 20 years, knowing you're too scared to leave. Your increment? 5% annually. Inflation? 7%. Do the math.
Path 2: The Leaver (25% choose this)
Jump to another hospital for 30% more.
Same politics, different address.
Same ceiling, different paint.
Two years later? Back to feeling trapped, except now you've burned bridges and still haven't built anything.
Path 3: The Builder (5% choose this)
Keep the job. Start the side practice.
Use hospital resources to build your reputation.
Transition when cash flow allows.
These 5%? They're the ones driving BMWs at 45 while the Stayers are still calculating EMIs.
