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39: The Hardest Part of Leaving a Job: Surviving the Notice Period

 

The Hardest Part of Leaving a Physician Job: Surviving the Notice Period

You finally made the decision.

You're leaving.

Maybe you've accepted another job. Maybe you've decided to pursue a nonclinical career. Maybe you've simply realized that your current job is no longer sustainable.

You give your notice - and then discover that deciding to leave and actually leaving are two very different things.

In this episode of Navigating Possibility, we talk about the often-overlooked emotional experience of the 90-120 day notice period: continuing to show up at a job you've already decided to leave, navigating guilt and awkward interactions with colleagues, and dealing with the reactions of people who may not be happy about your decision.

For women physicians especially, leaving a job can bring up an enormous amount of guilt and responsibility. We are accustomed to taking care of everyone else, picking up the slack, and making things work. So what happens when making things work means sacrificing yourself?

And what happens when an organization starts testing your boundaries once you've given notice?

We talk about recognizing when an employer is asking you to do more than you agreed to, understanding your contractual obligations, and resisting the pressure to accept unfavorable treatment simply because you're leaving.

I also share some personal stories about things that have been said to me when I've left jobs - and what I've learned from those experiences.

In This Episode

  • Why the period between deciding to leave a job and actually leaving can be so emotionally difficult

  • Why physicians may experience guilt when giving notice

  • The difference between feeling guilty and actually doing something wrong

  • What to do when colleagues react negatively to your resignation

  • Why other people's anger, stress, and burnout may be getting projected onto you

  • How organizations may try to push the boundaries of your agreement during a notice period

  • Why you should understand your employment contract before agreeing to additional responsibilities

  • What happens when your workload or compensation changes after you give notice

  • Why you don't have to accept unreasonable treatment simply because you're leaving

  • The importance of maintaining professionalism while protecting your boundaries

  • Grey rocking as a strategy for dealing with unreasonable or emotionally charged people

  • Why you don't have to endlessly explain or defend your decision to leave

  • How to acknowledge someone else's feelings without taking responsibility for them

  • Why you can feel sad, guilty, scared, or uncertain - and still know that leaving is the right decision

The Grey Rock Strategy

One of the tools we discuss in this episode is grey rocking, a boundary technique that can be useful when dealing with unreasonable people or conversations that are no longer productive.

When someone is angry or upset about your decision to leave, it can be tempting to over-explain.

You explain why you're leaving.

They challenge your reasons.

You explain those reasons.

They challenge those.

And suddenly you're spending an hour defending your right to make a career decision.

Grey rocking means becoming neutral, calm, and - well - boring.

You don't argue. You don't over-explain. You don't provide endless emotional material for someone to debate.

Sometimes the most powerful response is simply:

"I've given this a lot of thought, and I've made my decision."

You can acknowledge someone's frustration without allowing their reaction to determine your decision.

Because there's a difference between someone saying:

"Help me understand your decision."

and:

"Convince me that your decision is acceptable."

You can engage with the first.

You don't have to participate in the second.

A Reminder If You're Currently Giving Notice

You don't have to spend your notice period proving that you deserve to leave.

You don't have to make everyone comfortable with your decision.

You don't have to carry the emotional weight of your organization's staffing problems.

You don't have to accept unreasonable demands simply because you're leaving.

And you don't have to convince everyone that your reasons are valid.

You can be compassionate and firm.

You can be professional and protect your boundaries.

You can acknowledge that your departure creates challenges without taking responsibility for solving all of those challenges.

And perhaps most importantly:

You can feel guilty and still go.

Feeling uncomfortable doesn't necessarily mean you're making the wrong decision.

Sometimes it simply means you're doing something that other people don't want you to do.

If You're Considering a Career Change

If you're a woman physician who is burned out, frustrated with your current job, or wondering whether it's time for a career change, you don't necessarily need to make an immediate decision to quit.

There is often a middle ground between "stay exactly where I am" and "I have to get out."

Coaching can help you get clear on what's actually wrong, determine what might be changed in your current role, evaluate your alternatives, and make a career decision from a place of clarity rather than chronic overwhelm.

Sometimes the answer is to negotiate.

Sometimes the answer is to set better boundaries.

And sometimes the answer really is to leave.

The goal isn't simply to help you quit your job.

It's to help you make a career decision you can feel confident about.

 

🤝 Work With Me

If this episode resonates, I'd love to talk about how we can work together.

I work 1:1 with women physicians who are:

  • Burned out and questioning their future in medicine
  • Navigating contract non-renewal or job loss
  • Planning an intentional exit from clinical practice
  • Exploring advocacy, leadership, or nonclinical career paths

✨ Schedule a free coaching consultation to explore what’s next.

About the Podcast Navigating Possibility — A Podcast for Women Physicians Ready to Reclaim Their Power

Navigating Possibility is the podcast for women physicians experiencing burnout, career dissatisfaction, or major transitions in medicine.

If you're a woman doctor considering leaving clinical practice, exploring nonclinical careers, or seeking a more sustainable and aligned path, this podcast is for you.

I’m Dr. Christina Adams—OB-GYN, physician coach, and former burned-out doctor. I help women physicians move from survival mode to self-trust, clarity, and empowered career decisions.

Each episode includes:

  • Physician burnout recovery tools
  • Nervous system regulation strategies for high-achieving women
  • Conversations about leaving medicine or redesigning your role
  • Coaching insight for intentional career transitions
  • Advocacy conversations about systemic change in healthcare
  • Real stories from women physicians redefining success

This is your space to breathe, reflect, and remember who you are beneath the white coat. You are not alone. There is a growing movement of women physicians reclaiming autonomy, identity, and possibility.

✨ Subscribe, share with a colleague, and help reshape the future of medicine.

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Keywords: physician burnout, women physicians, physician career change, leaving a job, quitting your job, giving notice, resignation, physician career transition, toxic work environment, workplace boundaries, setting boundaries at work, physician wellness, women in medicine, career dissatisfaction, burnout recovery, physician coaching, career coaching for physicians.