I looked up at the clock. I could hear the seconds ticking away loudly. I had to make a decision before 5:00 PM. Either I was going to pack up my stuff and make the biggest move of my career, or I was going to continue with the status quo.
I can’t pinpoint the exact second that I decided to open my own practice, but I can recall the feeling I had when making the decision. I had a lot to weigh, including the certainty of having a steady paycheck versus the uncertainty of building a practice from scratch, the challenge of running a small business versus the challenge of being an employee, paid vacations versus full autonomy to choose when I vacationed—to name just a few.
However, on that one influential day, I realized that what I desired most was to implement my own vision of how to deliver the highest quality ophthalmic care to my patients. I was inspired by seeing my father deliver the best care for his patients in a solo internal medicine practice for more than 30 years. So I made the decision to take the leap. Excitement—that’s what I ultimately felt. (Also, if I am being honest, there was a little bit of fear). But it has turned out to be the best decision I have made in my career.
