The Hallway Experience (From the Archives)

I recently heard the phrase “hallway experience.” It resonated with me. 

The hallway represents the waiting period after the quintessential 'one door closes' and before 'another one opens.' For me, the hallway period began somewhat nebulously between the pandemic start and formal coach certification training and November of 2021, when I formally parted ways with private community practice.  Notice I say it began during that 2 ½ year timeframe – it was almost an imperceptible inching into the hallway. 

During that period, I became truly convinced of coaching’s power to enhance physicians’ well-being.  I began cutting down my clinical hours to make openings for residency programs and individuals. I was weighing the positive impact of seeing patients vs helping family docs reduce unnecessary suffering and regain joy in medicine while enjoying the fullness of life outside. The ripple effect on numbers of patients served, in my mind, tipped the scales toward coaching. 

I had a plan to remain clinically active by filling in as people took vacations in a familiar and comfortable office. When I felt ethically obligated to resign in November based on the owners’ COVID positions, my nice, easy plan faded. From November until last week (March 2022), I was looking for my own clarity. Where were the doors? Were any opening? Was this the time to pivot out of clinical medicine? It didn’t seem so. Was it time to go back to core faculty with a smaller presence coaching? Not really. I like to be an external coach free of conflicts of interest, and I’m slowly pivoting from on-call faculty to coach here.

The person who described the concept of the hallway experience didn’t use the “another door opens” but rather “co-creating a door to go through.” Co-creating. I was intrigued. What did I want the door to look like, and what would it open into? I still believe my most significant impact is as a coach, but I want to make a difference in the clinical space as well. I coach people to help them see limiting beliefs. The spotlight finally landed on my own while talking about purpose in career with a former resident.  Based on that conversation, I reached out to our local FQHC, run by another former resident of mine. She invited me to join as the fill-in doc, back to my old roots of serving the underserved, representing multiple cultures. The best part: there is a whole group of outstanding physicians there with whom I was privileged enough to be their attending during training. “Residency 2.0,” as one said. Doorway crafted and door opened – check. Thrilled to be welcomed into the next space. – check. 

What about you? Are you in a hallway? Are you waiting for a door to open? What if you crafted it yourself, or better yet, co-created it: you and your purpose; or you and other people; or you and the needs you care about; or you and your ideal future life.