My Career Pivot Didn’t Happen Quickly—and I’m Grateful It Didn’t
When I transitioned from clinical practice into health tech, it took about five years.
Not months.
Not a carefully planned leap.
Five long years—filled with rejection, uncertainty, and more than a little soul-searching.
Early on, I wanted what a lot of people want when they’re burned out or restless in their careers: a quick fix. Every rejection felt like proof that I was stuck, or that I had waited too long, or that I had somehow missed my chance.
But looking back now, I’m genuinely glad the transition took as long as it did—even though it was painful at the time.
Because the slowness forced me to do work I might have otherwise skipped.
The Hard Questions I Couldn’t Avoid
When nothing was moving quickly, I couldn’t just assume that leaving clinical care was the answer. I had to ask harder, more uncomfortable questions, like:
Is there any clinical environment where I’d actually be a better fit?
Am I running from something—or moving toward something?
What parts of my work energize me, even when the system around me is frustrating?
Instead of rushing toward the first alternative that looked promising, I dipped my toe into a few different clinical environments. I took on projects inside the clinic that were well outside my comfort zone—things I probably wouldn’t have volunteered for if I thought my exit was imminent.
Some of those experiments went really well.
Others were complete flops.
And both mattered.
Why the “Flops” Were Just as Important
The projects that didn’t work out were just as informative as the ones that did. They helped me rule things out. They showed me what wasn’t a good fit, even if it sounded good on paper.
More importantly, they gave me data—about myself.
What kinds of problems I liked wrestling with
How I handled ambiguity and change
Where my strengths actually showed up in practice, not just in theory
That self-knowledge became the foundation for my eventual move into health tech. Not a resume tweak. Not a networking hack. But a clearer understanding of how I wanted to contribute and where I could add value.
When the right opportunity came along with Prompt Health as their first Customer Success Manager, I knew it was the perfect opportunity.
If Your Transition Is Taking a Long Time
If you’re a rehab therapist and your journey feels slow—or messy—or painfully unclear—I want you to hear this:
However hard your path is right now, it’s not wasted time.
The rejection, the detours, the half-right ideas, the projects that don’t pan out—they’re all shaping your perspective. They’re helping you build judgment. They’re informing your next step in ways a fast, clean exit never could.
A long transition doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
Sometimes it means you’re doing the deeper work.
And that work has a way of paying off—even if it takes longer than you hoped.
