Episode #136: A Surgeon Shares Her Advice For Becoming A CMO
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If you’ve considered pursuing a leadership role, you may have wondered what it’s like to be a Chief Medical Officer, or CMO, and what exactly the day-to-day role entails. Look no further because today’s guest, Dr. Serene Perkins, is here to answer your questions about all things CMO. Dr. Perkins is a surgeon who modified her clinical practice to find better balance and discovered her passion for physician leadership work along the way. Now Dr. Perkins is a CMO for a health plan in Alaska, and she’ll share why she loves her work and how to know if climbing the leadership ladder is right for you.
In this episode we’re talking about:
- Why Dr. Perkins says the CMO is the glue that holds the organization together
- The most important personality traits for an aspiring CMO
- How a CMO advocates for physicians and improves processes
- Why Serene says no two days are the same in her job
- How Dr. Perkins manages conflicts when they arise
- What salary range you can expect for a CMO role
- How to build your leadership and management skills to become a CMO
Links for this episode:
Crucial Conversations – Tools For Talking When Stakes are High
American Association of Physician Leaders (AAPL)
American College of Healthcare Executives
Episode 134: Being A Physician Advisor In A Non-Hospital Based Role
Episode 105: Becoming A Physician Advisor – What’s the Scoop
Free Resources – There are a number of high value, free career resources you can check out under the FREEBIES tab. A good place to start is the Physician Transition Starter Kit, a “must have” when you’re questioning your career path. You can also find a guide for rocking your interview, chart review tips, a time management resource, and more.
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Heather Fork
"Heather taught me that 'the truth will set you free'."
I sought Heather’s guidance after practicing outpatient internal medicine for many years, as it was getting difficult to balance my role as a clinician while meeting my needs and those of my family. After our first consultation, I felt like I was seen and heard for the first time in my career. Working with Heather helped me identify my strengths, weaknesses, fears, and goals, and ultimately guided me to a non-clinical role that better aligned with my needs and aspirations. I am deeply indebted to Heather for the impact she has had on my personal and professional development. She is one of the most influential people in my life and I continue to seek her guidance years after our initial encounter. She once said that “we are happiest and most successful when we are using our skills and abilities at their highest level.” Heather will help you discover your truth. Thank you for your incredible work and friendship!
Megan Leivant, MD
"Heather’s approach was great! She would listen to me and helped me appreciate who I am."
I remember when she said ‘do your resume before our next meeting’, I was about to push back but she gently nudged me along and I’m glad I did exactly what she wanted me to do. We also did interview prep via Zoom and I was offered a great job in UM. She has continued to follow up even after I was offered this job, helping me with pointers about negotiating. I will totally recommend the Doctors Crossing and Heather to anyone feeling stuck like me and looking for a great coach! Thank you Heather!
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You helped me find the courage to seek out leadership positions and become a medical director as well as a physician advisor. I am grateful we crossed paths and am a different person because of it. You have inspired me to "believe" in spite of my inner skeptic. I consider you one of my most important mentors and am proud to also call you a friend. This says a lot given the apprehension I felt when I took a chance with our first coaching session. Even though I have already made a successful transition, I still value your ongoing mentorship and can enthusiastically attest that the value of your services is tremendous!
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I met Heather at the SEAK conference. She and I revisited this question. Did I want to quit being medicine completely? She helped me to identify my needs, wants, and my vision for my FUTURE, not just in medicine, but in life!!!
She was able to listen to my "ramblings" about becoming a stand-up comic, lounge singer and voice-over actor and translate them into action steps. I chose to become a composite of all of these. Now I am a more confident, healthier, happier person. I credit this in its entirety to the tutelage I have received and continue to receive from Heather. She cares. She listens. She was there for ME. She will be there for YOU!
- Lynette Charity, MD
“I am forever grateful to Heather for helping me to recognize, I am more than just my M.D."
Heather helped me understand that I am more than just a doctor and that my experiences in clinical medicine are valuable in so many arenas. As a result I realized that there are other ways to use my background, still be able to help people and continue to challenge myself and grow. To that end I discovered coaching - specifically health coaching. I am on my journey becoming a health coach and truly loving it!
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What started out as an initial thirty-minute consultation call turned into an amazing four-year journey that transformed my life, personally, spiritually and professionally.
Heather helped me to discover my passions...by doing so, I discovered I still had a calling for medicine but it now came from a place of truth...
Today...my wife and I are opening our first concierge medicine clinic in a community we love. I’m actually excited to have the opportunity to practice medicine the way I believe it’s meant to be, with a focus on the doctor-patient relationship and an emphasis on faith. I know if I had not reached out to Dr. Fork, my life would not be where it is at today.
- Steve Lapke, MD
“Heather gave me the confidence to create a new livelihood by following my heart."
She is incredibly knowledgeable about the range of careers available to physicians and provided me with advice and connections which I would not have found on my own. From the start she encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and try different things. I was laid off unexpectedly in early 2017, and Heather gave me the confidence to create a new livelihood by following my heart and making decisions based on trust, not fear. Now I am enjoying working part-time in a clinical setting in addition to teaching and writing.
- Sue Zimmermann, MD
“After months of struggling to find a non-clinical career that matched my values and passion, I stumbled upon Heather's website which truly changed my life."
Heather's insightful and personalized approach to career coaching made me think outside the box since she took the time to evaluate my personality, values, interests, and preferred lifestyle.
Through her encouragement, practical advice, and professional connections, I was able to find a non-clinical position at a state Medicaid agency that aligned with my passion for population health and serving low-income communities. In addition to her coaching sessions, Heather has built a community of like-minded physicians through her blog, and I feel honored to recommend her to friends and colleagues who seek to make positive changes in their professional and personal lives.
- Devki Patel, MD
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My career was going reasonably well but I couldn’t shake this nagging feeling I could do better; or at least find a better long-term career fit.
I was able to find a surgery job that better aligned with my goals and professional interests. Additionally, Heather helped me start a consulting business which has allowed me to pursue a true passion: helping medical students, residents, and attendings surgeons navigate the challenges of high-stakes standardized exams.
If you are reading this as a “Type A” surgeon who doesn’t think coaching is for you, I would encourage you to give Heather a shot. I’m very glad I did!
- Jay MacGregor, MD
“I gained the confidence in myself to develop an action plan that blended the best parts of my experiences and interests into a cohesive career."
Through our work, I learned to trust myself to make good decisions for my own future – something I hadn’t realized I was struggling with because as an emergency physician, I make life-changing decisions with patients every day.
By feeding my creativity and interests in other realms of my professional life, I’ve found renewed compassion for my patients and myself, making every shift an opportunity to actually care for people. Thank you Heather. I really couldn’t have made these changes without your help!
- Liz McMurtry, DO
“The simple truth is - Heather Fork totally helped me change my life."
I never would have had the courage to make the changes I’ve made without her unwavering support, wealth of knowledge and commitment.
When I first started working with Heather, I was downtrodden...I’d been practicing medicine for 20+ years and yet had never quite found my place. During the first year I worked with Heather, I left the practice I’d been working at, and recreated an entirely new professional purpose.
I’m now an executive and leadership coach, a university professor, and a Brené Brown Daring Way facilitator, and I have never looked back. I love what I am doing more than at any other time in my professional life and I credit Heather with seeing in me what I was never able to see in myself, until now.
Don’t hesitate, don’t doubt yourself, schedule your time with Heather as soon as possible- she can help you reconnect to your purpose and reinvent your life.
- Amie Langbein, DO
"After 30 years in academic medicine, I wanted a career change but had no idea where to start. Medicine was all I knew."
I signed up for coaching with Heather and it transformed my life. She helped me get clear on what I wanted my life to look like. We reviewed my skills, values, and strengths. She instilled hope in me that change IS possible after 50 years!
The outcome is that I have created a life I love! I practice endocrinology part-time and own a life coaching business! Coaching with Heather is one of the best investments I have made in my life.
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- Yuri Shindo, MD
"As a Physician, your personal and even professional needs are often overlooked. I learned how to prioritize my career goals by working with Dr. Heather Fork."
- Camille Gardner-Beasley, MD
"After 10 years in outpatient family medicine I felt stuck and knew I needed a change but I didn’t know where to begin. Thankfully I found Heather and she guided me every step of the way."
- Ana Jacobellis, DO
"I'm truly thankful to have had the opportunity to be coached by Heather, she is not only a resourceful mentor but a wise and supportive friend. I'm honored to recommend Heather to all my friends and colleagues."
- Abbey Awad, MD
"There have been a handful of people who have come into my life and changed it, and Heather is one of those people."
From the very first interaction with Heather, it became abundantly clear that she possessed a systematic approach and a methodology firmly rooted in my focusing on my goals and aspirations. Heather's coaching sessions helped me dismantle limiting beliefs and unearth the capable woman, mother, and physician within me. Under Heather's guidance, I began to dream again. I rediscovered my passion for writing, found the courage to share my stories, and even launched my own coaching practice. Today, I specialize in helping others conquer imposter syndrome and overcome burnout, empowering them to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. Working with Heather fundamentally shifted my perspective and allowed me to show up authentically in every facet of my life, resulting in a profound sense of fulfillment.
I am deeply grateful that I can continue my work in the emergency department and serve my community as a physician as well as a coach. Working with Heather was a transformative gift that enabled me to rediscover my true self, find clarity in my life's purpose, and unlock my full potential. Through her guidance, I not only reignited the powerful, confident, and bold version of myself I had lost sight of but also realized the boundless possibilities that lay ahead.
- Maria Dominguez
"I'm so glad that I worked with Heather last year."
Making a career shift can be a lonely time, and Heather was there every step of the way with encouraging words. She helped me gain a better understanding of the breadth of careers available to physicians, as well as giving me the tools to make that leap possible. My life is better than I ever thought possible. I'm happier, healthier and doing work that I love. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner.
Caitlin M.
"Heather provided invaluable insight during our one-time consultation."
She quickly helped me recognize an area where I was limiting myself and encouraged me to explore new possibilities. Her sound and supportive guidance empowered me to take the next steps in launching my parent coaching services. I’m grateful for her support and highly recommend her expertise!
Reshma Shah MD, MPH
"Heather taught me that 'the truth will set you free'."
I sought Heather’s guidance after practicing outpatient internal medicine for many years, as it was getting difficult to balance my role as a clinician while meeting my needs and those of my family. After our first consultation, I felt like I was seen and heard for the first time in my career. Working with Heather helped me identify my strengths, weaknesses, fears, and goals, and ultimately guided me to a non-clinical role that better aligned with my needs and aspirations. I am deeply indebted to Heather for the impact she has had on my personal and professional development. She is one of the most influential people in my life and I continue to seek her guidance years after our initial encounter. She once said that “we are happiest and most successful when we are using our skills and abilities at their highest level.” Heather will help you discover your truth. Thank you for your incredible work and friendship!
Megan Leivant, MD
"Heather’s approach was great! She would listen to me and helped me appreciate who I am."
I remember when she said ‘do your resume before our next meeting’, I was about to push back but she gently nudged me along and I’m glad I did exactly what she wanted me to do. We also did interview prep via Zoom and I was offered a great job in UM. She has continued to follow up even after I was offered this job, helping me with pointers about negotiating. I will totally recommend the Doctors Crossing and Heather to anyone feeling stuck like me and looking for a great coach! Thank you Heather!
- Modupe Oladeinde, MD