Becoming a physician requires years of education, training, and personal sacrifice. For many doctors, medicine becomes closely tied to their identity, making it difficult to imagine a professional future outside the path they originally chose.
But what happens when the career they worked so hard to build no longer allows them to practice medicine in ways that reflect their values?
Pediatrician Athena Hall, founder of ZNA Health Network, believes physicians deserve the freedom to ask that question without viewing it as a failure.
Her perspective developed through practicing medicine in different healthcare environments, from rural communities in the United States to a teaching hospital in Rwanda. Those experiences exposed her to the ways healthcare systems could influence professional fulfillment, regardless of a physician’s dedication to patients.
Now, through The Agency Lab, a 12-week group program launching November 30, 2026, Hall is helping physicians reconsider what meaningful professional success might look like.
How Experience Changed Her Perspective
Practicing across different healthcare settings gave Hall an opportunity to observe the relationship between physicians, patients, and the institutions responsible for delivering care.
Although each environment presented its own circumstances, she witnessed how organizational structures could either support physicians or create obstacles to their work.
The experience led her to question a familiar expectation within medicine: that physicians should continually adapt to challenging systems rather than have opportunities to help improve them.
“Physicians aren’t losing their love of medicine, they’re losing their ability to practice it in ways that align with why they chose it,” Hall explains.
That realization became central to her understanding of professional agency.
A physician questioning their career may still care deeply about medicine. Their uncertainty may reflect a growing disconnect between their values and the conditions under which they practice.
Redefining What a Successful Medical Career Looks Like
The Agency Lab creates space for physicians experiencing burnout or career uncertainty to explore their options.
Throughout the 12-week program, participants will examine the systems influencing their professional experiences and consider how their priorities align with their current circumstances.
Hall does not promote a single definition of success.
For some physicians, renewed fulfillment may come from advocating for organizational improvements or finding a different practice environment. Others may explore alternative professional paths or decide that stepping away temporarily is necessary.
The intention is to help physicians approach these decisions with clarity and purpose rather than pressure.
Finding Purpose Beyond Professional Expectations
Hall’s philosophy also informs her work through ZNA Health Network, an organization focused on healthcare systems change and community-centered approaches to care.
By connecting healthcare professionals, community leaders, and allies, the organization supports conversations and projects centered on whole person health, relationships, and human connection.
Her experiences in the United States and Rwanda reinforced her belief that meaningful healthcare reform requires reconsidering how systems support both patients and professionals.
“Purpose isn’t something you work towards, it’s something you live everyday,” she says.
For Hall, professional purpose should be reflected in the choices physicians make and the environments they help create.
Giving Physicians Permission to Choose
The Agency Lab’s inaugural cohort launches November 30, 2026, with a public physician event planned for early February 2027.
As physician burnout and workforce challenges continue to shape healthcare discussions, Hall hopes to encourage a different conversation about career satisfaction and professional identity.
Rather than measuring success solely through career longevity or traditional professional milestones, she wants physicians to consider whether their work remains aligned with their values.
The answer may lead different physicians in different directions.
For Hall, giving them the freedom to make that choice is an important part of creating a healthier future for medicine.
Learn More
For information about The Agency Lab and ZNA Health Network, visit www.znahealthnetwork.com or follow @zna.health.network on Instagram.
