Evolving in Healthcare

Career Cliniq
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Most health professionals are good at their job. Fewer feel like their job is actually good for them. Evolving in Healthcare is for the ones sitting with that gap. Each episode, Dr Ruth Vo talks with a health professional who has navigated a real career crossroads. The pivots, the slow burns, the moments something shifted, and what it actually took to move. No shortcuts. No tidy success stories. Just honest accounts of how real people figured out what a career worth having actually looks like for them. Hosted by Dr Ruth Vo, dietitian and professional identity coach with 20 years in healthcare.

  1. Self-Leadership for Health Professionals Who Want More Influence with Ruth Andermatt

    5d ago

    Self-Leadership for Health Professionals Who Want More Influence with Ruth Andermatt

    Plenty of capable people learn to lead by copying whoever's already in charge. It works for a while, right up until it leaves you running on someone else's fuel and still not quite yourself. Ruth Andermatt is a Canadian self-leadership coach who has spent more than two decades working with executives and emerging leaders, most of them introverts. She was often the only woman in the room, and she has thought hard about what it costs to keep conforming to a style that was never going to fit. If you're in a non-titled role wishing you had more influence, or eyeing a step into management because it looks like the only way to have impact, this conversation is for you. Ruth draws a clean line between managing people and leading them, and she begins where most leadership advice skips ahead: how you lead yourself. Expect plenty on holding your ground without conforming, guiding the people above you, and what to do when the version of success you've been chasing quietly stops fitting. We ExploreWhy conforming to get into leadership tends to run out of roadThe difference between managing people and actually leading themLeading the people above you, not only the ones who report to youWhat self-leadership asks of you long before any title arrivesThe cost of staying in survival mode and calling it dedication Timestamps 01:15 Being the only woman in the room and the pull to conform 05:45 Masculine and feminine leadership, and why most workplaces pick one 08:48 The exhaustion of dancing to someone else's tune just to get hired 13:40 Why a title doesn't make you a leader, and what self-leadership actually means 16:44 Hitting a plateau and shifting your perspective instead of walking away 29:05 The blind spot that holds capable people back, women especially 33:08 Leading the people above you, not just the ones who report to you 41:25 Survival worn as a badge of honour, and the price every choice carries 45:09 Untangling your identity from how you got here and redefining success 55:48 Outgrowing your manager and repositioning without burning the bridge About Ruth AndermattRuth Andermatt is a self-leadership coach and consultant and the founder of Andermatt Consulting Experience (A.C.E. Inc) in Canada. A former national-level paddler and UBC graduate, she has coached executives, business owners and emerging leaders for more than twenty years, with a particular focus on women and introverts who lead quietly but effectively. Her view, useful for anyone in a hierarchical field like healthcare, is that leading yourself is the foundation everything else is built on, title or no title. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachruth/Website: https://andermattconsulting.com Career Cliniq Resources If this conversation has you wondering where your influence and interests actually sit, the StreamAhead Assessment maps your experience across the full spectrum of healthcare work, not just the path you trained for: https://careercliniq.com/streamahead Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn or Instagram

    1h 1m
  2. From Project Officer Dietitian to a Portfolio Career in Strategy with Bree Murray

    May 28

    From Project Officer Dietitian to a Portfolio Career in Strategy with Bree Murray

    Bree Murray has never seen a patient. She'll still put "dietitian" on every form she fills in. She's spent 15 years in professional associations, food industry, health profession regulation, and a job-shared CEO role and has never once questioned whether that makes her a real dietitian. This conversation is for anyone who has. We ExploreBuilding a dietitian career entirely outside clinical practiceWhat personal life seasons reveal about what you actually valueHow a project officer becomes a job-sharing CEO The real cost of a portfolio career when you've come from a for-purpose backgroundThe difference between a career compass and a career planAbout Bree MurrayBree Murray is an Australian dietitian with over 15 years of experience spanning professional association work, food industry consulting, health profession regulation, and executive leadership. She currently serves as executive officer for a Council of Deans of Nutrition and Dietetics, supports governance work with self-regulating health professions, and sits on the National Alliance of Self-Regulating Health Professions board. Her career has been built through relationships, referrals, and a consistent willingness to move into unfamiliar territory when the fit is right. Connect with Bree Murrayhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bree-murray-44193528/ Career Cliniq ResourcesIf this conversation got you thinking about what's actually guiding your career decisions, the StreamAhead Assessment maps your interests and experience across the full spectrum of healthcare work - not just the path you trained for. 👉 Take the StreamAhead Assessment Join the ConversationWhat's the moment you realised the shape of your days didn't match what you actually cared about? I'd love to hear it. LinkedIn | Instagram

    1h 14m
  3. From North Dakota to Biotech: How an OT Found Regulatory Writing with Keagen Hadley

    May 12

    From North Dakota to Biotech: How an OT Found Regulatory Writing with Keagen Hadley

    You're halfway through a degree or deep into a career you're not sure you'll stay in and the loudest fear isn't about what's next. It's that everything you've already invested might be wasted. Keagen Hadley finished an entire OT doctorate he wasn't sure he'd use and it was the very thing that gave him room to build a completely different career. Keagen Hadley is a regulatory medical writer for a large biotech company. He holds a doctorate in occupational therapy and has spent over a decade in the biotech and pharmaceutical space. We Explore How geographic limitation can become a catalyst for unconventional experienceWhy the financial variable in career decisions deserves more honesty in the helping professionsHow your cognitive wiring reveals itself early and what to do when it doesn't match the clinical pathWhy "regulatory medical writer" misrepresents the actual work of the roleHow credibility gets built in an industry where your healthcare credential doesn't automatically count Chapters 00:00 Meet Keagen Hadley - regulatory medical writer and OT 03:22 How a small-town CRO in North Dakota opened the door to biotech 08:50 $96K in student loans and the decision to finish anyway 14:14 The lecture that reframed scale and patient impact 19:25 Remote work, flexibility, and family life in biotech 24:48 Starting before you feel ready and selling yourself as a novice 35:56 Why recruiters matter more than applications in this field 45:10 Wrangling physicians who disagree 47:28 AI and regulatory writing 57:25 Why clinicians won't say the money part out loud Connect with Keagen LinkedIn: Keagen HadleyNewsletter:  https://cliniciansguide.substack.com/What Regulatory Writers Actually Make - https://thecliniciansguide.myflodesk.com/uegisjcpq96-Month Roadmap to Becoming a Regulatory Medical Writer - https://thecliniciansguide.myflodesk.com/nx48w16db8 Career Cliniq Resources If you're trying to get clearer on what actually drives your next step, the StreamAhead Assessment will map your interests within healthcare. 👉 Take the StreamAhead Assessment Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn and Instagram.

    1 hr
  4. From Tenured Professor to the Pork Industry with Kristen Hicks-Roof

    Apr 29

    From Tenured Professor to the Pork Industry with Kristen Hicks-Roof

    Most health professionals spend years building toward a role they're told is the destination. What happens when you get there and realise you're still evolving? Kristen Hicks-Roof is a registered dietitian and PhD researcher who built a full academic career - tenure, grants, research agendas, and chose to leave it to lead human nutrition at the US National Pork Board, a role that didn't exist before she took it. This conversation gets into what it's like to be a high performer navigating competitive dynamics, the identity reckoning that happens when your career and your motherhood collide on the same timeline, and what it actually looks like to take clinical skills into an industry most dietitians are taught to distrust. If you've ever felt like you outgrew a role you genuinely valued, or wondered whether the skills you built in practice could belong somewhere completely different, this one will sit with you. We ExploreThe fight to prove nutrition's value and why it follows you no matter what setting you're inWhat happens when your drive and the culture around you aren't well matchedThe identity shift from "mother scholar" to something with no established nameHow a 2am LinkedIn scroll during maternity leave became a career turning pointWhat dietitians and clinicians misunderstand about working in the food industry Chapters 00:00 Unexpected Career Paths06:31 The Role of Nutrition Professionals17:08 Academia and Career Transition28:26 The Decision to Leave Academia34:01 Navigating Tension in Academia42:46 The Impact of Motherhood on Career49:29 Role in Nutrition Research59:12 Building Connections and Following Passions About Kristen Hicks-RoofKristen Hicks-Roof PhD, RD is the Director of Human Nutrition at the US National Pork Board, where she oversees research investment and science communication across stakeholder groups from farmers to federal policymakers. A former associate professor with promotion and tenure, her academic research focused on integrating nutrition across healthcare teams and the lived experience of mother scholars in academia. She also hosts the Nutrition Connection podcast. LinkedIn: Kristen Hicks-RoofPodcast: Nutrition ConnectionCareer Cliniq ResourcesWondering where your clinical skills could actually take you? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you map what you've built and where it could go next. 👉 Take the StreamAhead Assessment Join the ConversationHave you ever been in a role where your drive worked against you? Tell us about it. Find us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

    1h 2m
  5. How a Pain Science Crisis Took One PT from her Dream Clinic Role to Health Tech with Emily Kelly

    Apr 15

    How a Pain Science Crisis Took One PT from her Dream Clinic Role to Health Tech with Emily Kelly

    Emily Kelly chose physical therapy because a torn ACL at 14 showed her what one-on-one care could do. She found her dream clinic, treated patients for an hour each, and loved the work. Then a new grad started questioning what she believed about pain, and the clinical identity she had spent years building started to come apart. Emily is now a product manager at Prompt, a health tech company building software for rehabilitation providers in the US. This conversation covers what it actually took to get from one to the other. A pay structure that punished the qualification it demanded. The emotional cost of being the clinician who takes everything home. A healthcare innovation conference that lit something up. And a series of deliberate, unglamorous decisions that most career transition stories skip over entirely. If you are a health professional who knows something needs to shift but cannot see the steps from where you are, this episode lays them out honestly. We explore: What pain science does to a clinician's sense of who they are in the roomThe emotional cost of clinical empathy that no one talks about at universityA pay structure that punishes the qualification it demandsWhat hiring managers actually notice when a clinician interviews for a non-clinical roleThe unglamorous middle of moving from physical therapy to health tech product management About Emily Kelly Emily Kelly is a physical therapist and product manager at Prompt, a health tech company building practice management software for rehabilitation providers. Based in Denver, Colorado, she spent eight years in outpatient physical therapy before moving through customer success and leadership into product. LinkedIn: Emily KellyMentioned: Meredith Caston / The Non-Clinical PT, Lorimer Moseley (pain science researcher), Peter O'Sullivan, Adriaan Louw Career Cliniq Resources If this episode has you wondering where else your clinical expertise could take you, the StreamAhead Assessment maps your interests across eight healthcare work streams and shows you options you might not have considered yet. Take StreamAhead HERE! Connect with Ruth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drruthvo/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drruthvo/

    1h 10m
  6. New Grad Exercise Practitioner to Scaling E-Commerce Entrepreneur with Melissa Gunstone

    Mar 27

    New Grad Exercise Practitioner to Scaling E-Commerce Entrepreneur with Melissa Gunstone

    The boxes we're handed in healthcare are well-meaning. Your title, your scope, your place in the hierarchy - they exist for good reasons. But they can also become the edges of what you think is possible. Melissa Gunstone is a Canadian Registered Kinesiologist who graduated, hit the wall most new grads hit, and built her way out of it - not by leaving healthcare, but by refusing to stay inside the box it handed her. What followed is a ground-level account of private practice niching, a team to lead, and a product invented because it didn't exist. If you're a health professional navigating the gap between your training and what's actually possible - this conversation covers territory your degree never did. We Explore The gap between your credential and what the world does with itWhy your professional title can work against youWhat more schooling won't give youOperating on the periphery of the healthcare systemFinding your real market by listening, not assumingThe cost of building a team when you're the only one who cares as much as you doWhether your business success can open doors for others in your professionHow entrepreneurship can arrive before you're ready for the word About Melissa Gunstone Melissa Gunstone is a registered kinesiologist based in Ontario, Canada. She is the founder of Home Stretch (in-home kinesiology for seniors) and creator of Sturdey Fall Prevention Tools. She also employs and mentors kinesiologists through her business - making career development as much a part of her mission as client care. Connect with Melissa Home Stretch - In-Home Kinesiology for Seniors: https://www.homestretch4seniors.ca Sturdey Fall Prevention Tools: https://sturdey.com/collections/tools-to-stay-sturdy YouTube - The Fall Prevention Coach: https://youtube.com/@melissathefallpreventioncoach Melissa's marketing guy, Miles at Wondering Concierge: https://wonderingconcierge.com/ Career Cliniq Resources Wondering which direction your healthcare career could take? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you identify which work streams align with your strengths right now. 👉 https://careercliniq.com/streamahead

    1h 3m
  7. Authentic Career Networking in Healthcare with Kaylee Johnson

    Feb 5

    Authentic Career Networking in Healthcare with Kaylee Johnson

    When someone says "you need to network," what's your gut reaction? If it's dread mixed with a side of ick, Kaylee Johnson gets it. She's an occupational therapist who's worked across clinical care, health tech, and leadership roles in the US, and we sat down to unpack what networking actually looks like when you're an introvert who'd rather do anything else. We also had some fun comparing Australian and US takes on networking. This conversation cuts through the schmoozing stereotype to explore networking as something more human: leading with curiosity, asking questions because you genuinely want to know, and figuring out how you can help someone solve a problem. Kaylee shares how she flopped hard in early attempts but eventually landed roles through authentic connections and why LinkedIn doesn't have to feel like performing. If you've been avoiding networking because it feels transactional, or you're job hunting but worried about word getting back to your current workplace, this episode offers practical reframes and the courage you'll need to step outside your healthcare bubble. We Explore Why networking conversations feel transactional and how to reframe themThe courage required to network outside your professional comfort zoneCultural differences in networking expectations between Australia and the USStrategic use of LinkedIn without the performance anxietyHow to de-risk job search networking when you're worried about your current employer finding outHow networking plays a role in preventing career and performance stagnationAbout Kaylee Johnson Kaylee Johnson is an Occupational Therapist with 15 years of experience across clinical practice, health tech, and leadership roles in the northeast United States. As a self-described introvert, Kaylee has navigated multiple career transitions and now brings insights about authentic networking, cross-functional collaboration, and career evolution for healthcare professionals who want to explore beyond traditional clinical pathways. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylee-m-johnson/ Career Cliniq Resources If this conversation has you thinking about what else might be possible in your healthcare career, the StreamAhead Assessment can help you identify which work streams align with your current interests and strengths. Sometimes clarity starts with simply knowing what's out there. Access the StreamAhead Assessment: https://careercliniq.com/streamahead What's your biggest networking challenge right now? Drop me a message and let me know. Connect with me: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drruthvo/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drruthvo/

    1h 14m
  8. Building a Healthcare Career That Fits Your Brain with Dr. Anum Ali

    12/16/2025

    Building a Healthcare Career That Fits Your Brain with Dr. Anum Ali

    What becomes possible when you stop waiting to feel "ready enough"? Dr. Anum Ali's undergraduate transcript didn't predict where she'd end up. After six years as a crisis counsellor, she wasn't sure graduate schools would take a chance on her. Then a mentor said five words that changed everything: "Your GPA doesn't tell your whole story." An adult ADHD diagnosis during her master's in clinical mental health counselling reframed years of academic struggle—not as failure, but as her brain working differently. Today, she's built a career that actually leverages how she thinks: VP of Clinical at a health tech startup, university professor, clinical supervisor, private practice therapist, and founder of DigiWell Foundation focused on youth mental health and digital wellness. Her PhD research on South Asian parents and digital wellness? It grew directly from her childhood experiences with online bullying. The painful parts of her story became the foundation for work that protects the next generation. Anum's advice: "I think it started out with me saying yes to opportunities and going into the rooms where I wasn't sure if I even belonged." This conversation is about building careers that work with you instead of against you, reaching out before imposter syndrome says you're qualified, and discovering that your different path might be exactly what positions you to make real impact. We explore: Navigating healthcare as an immigrant and first-generation studentConfronting mental health stigma in South Asian communities and becoming a voice for changeWhat happens when a mentor sees beyond your transcriptThe isolation of feeling different—culturally, academically, and professionallyGetting an adult ADHD diagnosis and rebuilding your career narrativeLeaving secure crisis centre work to explore what else is possibleSaying yes to opportunities and walking into rooms where you're not sure you belongTurning painful experiences of bullying and cultural disconnection into meaningful researchWhy empathy is a skill you build over time, not just a personality traitProtecting compassion when burnout threatens to erode itAbout Dr. Anum Ali, PhD Dr. Anum Ali is a licensed professional counsellor and clinical mental health researcher working across multiple healthcare sectors. As VP of Clinical at a digital wellness startup, she builds AI-powered parental guidance tools. She teaches master's-level counselling students, provides clinical supervision at a non-profit, maintains a private practice specialising in culturally responsive therapy for South Asian communities, and founded DigiWell Foundation—a Texas non-profit focused on youth mental health and digital wellbeing. Her PhD research examined how South Asian parents navigate adolescent social media use and mental health stigma. She's the first woman from her village in Pakistan to earn a PhD. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alianumtx/ DigiWell Foundation: https://www.digiwellfoundation.org/ TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfsNvFt--iI Career Cliniq Resources Ready to explore what else might be possible? The StreamAhead Assessment helps healthcare professionals discover which work streams align with how you actually work best. 👉 Take the StreamAhead Assessment What room are you not walking into because you're waiting to feel like you belong there? Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn or Instagram to continue the conversation.

    1h 1m
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About

Most health professionals are good at their job. Fewer feel like their job is actually good for them. Evolving in Healthcare is for the ones sitting with that gap. Each episode, Dr Ruth Vo talks with a health professional who has navigated a real career crossroads. The pivots, the slow burns, the moments something shifted, and what it actually took to move. No shortcuts. No tidy success stories. Just honest accounts of how real people figured out what a career worth having actually looks like for them. Hosted by Dr Ruth Vo, dietitian and professional identity coach with 20 years in healthcare.

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  • Creator
    Career Cliniq
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    22
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    Clean
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    © 2026 Career Cliniq
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    Evolving in Healthcare