210: One Physician’s Journey into Non-Clinical Work with Dr. Virgie Bright-Ellington

“Physicians are the hardest working folks in terms of, on average, if you compare the average physician with any other line of work or profession. We're hardworking folks and there are private equity folks, corporations, non-physician folks in turtlenecks that know this and exploit this. And that is something that we have to be aware of when we are becoming employed physicians.” - Dr. Virgie Bright-Ellington A lot of us are interested in transitioning into nonclinical careers or picking up a side gig that we can do in addition to our clinical career. This is something we get a lot of questions about at DocWorking, and our guest has successfully made that transition and can walk us through the steps. Dr. Virgie Bright-Ellington is an internal medicine physician and medical billing expert. She earned her M.D. at the University of Michigan Medical School and trained at the Cambridge Hospital of Harvard Medical School. She has practiced in primary care and psychiatric settings, and then she transitioned her work into the insurance world where she became a health insurance executive. She’s also the author of the What Your Doctor Wants You to Know series, a former NY1 news health contributor and was featured in Dallas News, several podcasts, and national magazines.  Dr. Bright-Ellington has been a guest here on DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast before, and you can listen to the episode all about crushing medical debt by clicking the link below. Here, she shares her journey of how she went from a practicing physician to a successful author and entrepreneur. We discuss nanny culture and living in New York City and what ultimately caused Dr. Bright-Ellington to make the transition to a non-clinical career. As a mother, being there for her children was so important, so she started searching for ways to make passive income while still seeing patients on a part-time basis. However, things didn’t go quite as planned, as her father suddenly passed away and got divorced, causing her to rethink her role as head of the household. She then got a job within the insurance industry handling appeals. We discuss how Dr. Bright-Ellington found her publishing company and PR agent, and advice for others who are considering a similar path. Much of what got her to the next level was good old-fashioned hard work, persistence, and making the right connections. We also talk about investing, specifically using your retirement accounts to fund your startup business venture and the importance of having a solid marketing plan. It’s a misconception that entrepreneurship is an easy road, and Dr. Bright-Ellington pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to succeed.  What’s Inside:
 • Dr. Bright-Ellington’s journey from practicing physician to entrepreneur. • What to expect when transitioning to a non-clinical career. • How to use retirement accounts to finance your startup. • Why having a solid marketing plan is key in entrepreneurial success. Mentioned In This Episode: • DocWorking.com • Americans and Crushing Medical Debt with Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington – EP 195 Find full transcripts of DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast episodes on the DocWorking Blog The past few weeks have been busy at DocWorking! We have been working behind the scenes to add even more CME credits to the THRIVE memberships. Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own wellness so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you, with DocWorking THRIVE. You can take the first step today by taking our 2-Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today! DocWorking empowers physicians and entire healthcare teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with programs designed to help you maximize life with minimal time. If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grateful! We’re everywhere you like to get your podcasts! Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Google, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, ListenNotes, Amazon, YouTube, and Podbean. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Some links in our blogs and show notes are affiliate links, and purchases made via those links may result in payments to DocWorking. These help toward our production costs. Thank you for supporting DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast!