Cindy, it is really tough having to face a really bad work situation and decide what has to be sacrificed first; ideals, career, geography, whatnot.
Twenty years ago, I was so miserable in my job that I actually considered leaving medicine, and answered an ad to become an aeromedical evacuation pilot in the Maldives. Between the time that it took to send my cable and get a reply ("Telephone soonest. Operations officer, Male, Maldives"), I had some brief flash of sanity, and realized I was seeking the wrong solution. My answer was to leave my group, go solo, and take on a gigantic project helping the small airlines in Alaska (and there are a couple hundred of them) comply with Federal anti-drug laws. The latter project still supplies me with a modest but nevertheless significant income. The former saved my sanity. It was really scary, but the alternative looked only like a long dark tunnel, with no light at the end.
So, rather than focus on obesity management (which very possibly does not "taste right" to you... else why pose the question here?), I'd suggest you get a big piece of paper and list every option you can. Don't dismiss anything outright. Want to work in the prison system? Get training in occupational medicine? Join the Public Health Service or the Army? Move to Alaska? My guess is, that in the broad world of medicine, something will really click if you let it, and you won't be asking us our opinion.
Last edited by dgrauman; 02/09/2012 8:27 PM.
