Personal News: Leaving Medicine

Last night I made the decision to leave medicine and do art full time. I will stop working as a physician by June 2008 to become a full-time artist. I might leave before that if I can find a replacement physician sooner.

It's not an easy decision to make since I love medicine, especially seeing patients. However my art business has taken off and I don't want to hold it back. I need to devote more time to it if it is going to continue to grow.

I've said for a few years that I am a "2/3rds time doctor and a 2/3rds time artist." The math does not add up. There is only one of me. I'm doing too much.

I love medicine and I love art, but the truth is that at this point I love art more. Art is more fun than medicine and strangely enough, it is generating more income.

Comments

[smays]

The art world's gain will be medicine's loss. This ranks up there with the retirement of Doc Adams (Gunsmoke) and Marcus Welby (Uh, Marcus Welby M.D.).

As friend, patient and fan of your work... let me be among the first (in the blogosphere) to wish you well in this new chapter of The Henry Domke Story.

[Cassie]

Wow! That's certainly a big decision. Glad to hear that your artwork is doing so well. Generating more income than that of a physician? You're definitely not the typical "starving artist." Congratulations!

[Henry Domke]

No, I'm not a starving artist. But as one friend said, "If your making as much money with art as you are with medicine you must be either doing a poor job with your medical business or a great job with art business." Perhaps it is a bit of both. My medical career has been devoted to Family Practice and society has decided not to reward Family Practice Physicians as well as other doctors.

[Elaine Poggi]

I was wondering how you find time to be a doctor and photographer at the same time! In bocca al lupo ("in the mouth of the wolf" which means good luck), as we say in Italy!

[Clyde Lear]

Gosh. Now what do I do? Stock up on your art OR stock up on physical exams?
Seriously, am proud of you. Been reading--again--Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning. You're searching and Dr. Frankl would say you're very healthy.
--clyde

[Henry Domke]

Thanks for reminding me about "Man's Search for Meaning". It is a great book and helped inspire me!

[Dallas Smith]

Henry,
Rather than looking at your career/time commitments as either/or, I suggest that you identify yourself as a HEALER, and use your art and your medical knowlege whenever you can. Just because you suspend your regular medical practice doesn't mean that you are no longer a physician.

[kevin]

I left medicine for an MBA June 2007, and have not looked back. Best of luck!