In this episode of the Creative Careers in Medicine podcast, host Dr Elise Putt is joined by Dr Izzy Bigio, a New Zealand-trained doctor currently working in operations and community at Lyrebird AI. Dr Bigio shares her compelling journey from deciding to leave clinical medicine to finding her niche in the startup world. Her story begins around two years ago when she posted about her career concerns on the Creative Careers in Medicine Facebook page. From there, she started her own newsletter, Bootstrapped NZ, focusing on the New Zealand startup scene, before eventually landing her role at Lyrebird AI.

Dr Bigio tells the transition from her teenage years, when she first aspired to study medicine, to her realisation midway through her clinical training that she wished to pursue a different career path. In her operations and community role at Lyrebird AI, she focuses on creating internal structures and interfacing with the clinical community, aiming to reduce non-patient-facing work for clinicians. Despite the challenging decision to leave clinical work, Dr Bigio emphasises her desire to enact long-term systemic changes rather than "fight fires" in a clinical setting.

Exploring both the support and caution she received from her colleagues to her career switch. She highlights the importance of conversations and networking, which led her to the Startmate Women’s Fellowship and her entry into the startup ecosystem. Dr Bigio also reflects on the skills she gained from clinical practice, such as problem-solving and people management, and how they translate effectively into her roles in the startup and venture capital spaces.

Dr Bigio shares her future aspirations, including making significant contributions in her role at Lyrebird and the possibility of pursuing a Chief Operating Officer role in a startup. She emphasises the importance of staying curious and open to opportunities, as well as the value of blending head and heart in career decisions. Dr Bigio concludes with a reflection on her creative side, expressing amusement at the hypothetical idea of owning a coffee shop or becoming a touring musician, illustrating the diverse range of interests that professionals can explore.

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The CCIM Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offering the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, and more. Discover the network at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.