From Fastcompany · · 2m
Leaving medicine at 54 to find meaning
Two women who built successful careers walked away at their peak to pursue work that felt more fulfilling.
In brief
Two women who built successful careers walked away at their peak to pursue work that felt more fulfilling. Kim Foster left a twenty-year medical career and Alexandra Aileru left education and project management to build new businesses helping others navigate career transitions. Originally reported by Fastcompany.
A doctor's 20-year journey ends
Kim Foster decided at 17 to become a doctor, a feat no one in her family had accomplished. She practiced medicine for 20 years. Eventually it stopped fulfilling her.
Seeing problems too late
As a family doctor, Foster noticed she was often seeing patients when they were already experiencing problems like diabetes, chronic pain, and heart disease. Things were starting to fall apart.
“things were starting to fall apart”
A pull toward something new
Foster began to feel a pull toward helping people make different decisions and yearned to do something creative. She decided to walk away from her medical career.
Foster's new work at 54
Now 54, Foster helps those looking to make pivots or reinvent themselves through her YouTube channel and online courses.
Aileru's eight years in education
Alexandra Aileru, 35, worked in the education sector for eight years. She had been thinking about leaving her field for a while before becoming pregnant and realizing she needed to make an exit.
Aileru moves to project management
Aileru transitioned into project management but realized a few years in that she had hit what she calls the peak of what she wanted to achieve in that role.
TikTok reveals a market need
At the end of 2023, Aileru started posting on TikTok about her career pivot experience. She got many questions from her audience and recognized a market to help people with similar transformations.
Confident Career Switch launches
In 2024, Aileru went all in on her business, Confident Career Switch. The company's motto is to help people get unstuck with their careers.
“get unstuck with their careers”
Both pivoted with responsibilities
Aileru and Foster made pivots during different stages of their lives but both transitioned when they were more established and had responsibilities. Like Aileru, Foster had children to take care of.
Building an off-ramp
Foster was the main breadwinner in her family, so transitioning away from medicine required building what she calls an off-ramp to manage the financial and practical realities of leaving.
“off-ramp”
The takeaway
Kim Foster left a twenty-year medical career and Alexandra Aileru left education and project management to build new businesses helping others navigate career transitions.
