Why I left my job as a doctor to pursue an ed-tech startup

As many of my friends and family know, I’ve been working on Kedyou for close to 3 years now. If you don’t already know, Kedyou is a web application that provides free collaborative workspaces for live online education and group study

Initially, Kedyou started as a little side project while I was in medical school. Now it’s what wakes me up every morning. It’s what made me voluntarily resign from my job as a full-time junior to continue working on it. The decision to stop working as a full-time doctor took time, and was influenced by multiple factors, experiences and people. I hope that by explaining my thoughts, I can give others the courage to take a leap of faith and chase their dreams, whatever they may be

My thoughts and reflections in the field of medicine stem from my personal experience as a junior doctor in Perth, Western Australia. Medicine holds a special place in my heart. The opinions below are solely my own and come from a mix of sadness and hope

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to anyone in medicine who is fighting for a better system by being the change they want to see. You act as an inspiration to us all. Finally, to all medical colleagues, I do not wish to undermine your work. On the contrary, any criticism of the system is said in solidarity. Without you, the world would be a worse place

🩺 Journey to choosing medicine 👨‍🎓

For as long as I can remember I was always the “smart kid” and can hardly recall ever struggling in school. By sheer luck or some mysterious cosmic force (I am a Physics major after all), I unwittingly embraced many evidence-based practices in my study routine from an early age. However, growing up in low socioeconomic status (SES) schools with an Indian background came with a lot of pressure. While my teachers were incredibly supportive, I often felt as though I bore the weight of my entire class on my shoulders

The pinnacle of achievement in high school is getting into medicine. It is ingrained in the minds of students that pursuing medicine is the logical path for high achievers—after all, who in their right mind would pass up such a golden opportunity? Sure, every now and then someone comes in and tells students to pursue medicine only if their hearts are truly set on it. Then they usually follow it up by describing medicine as a professional utopia. Looking back on my own experience, how can a 16-year-old have the slightest clue about what their heart is truly set on? At that age, I couldn’t even decide whether I wanted to hang out with my friends on any given weekend

Nonetheless, 16-year-old me navigated through the maze of choices. I figured I could handle the academics, enjoyed the role of an intellectual guide, and was clueless about the human body even though I’d been somewhat interested in it from a young age. Every time I told someone I was considering being a doctor, admiration followed, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. It’s extremely easy to confuse external admiration with truth, and purpose, especially in the age of social media where it’s so readily available. External admiration can be intoxicating and can make you continue chasing something even if you don’t know why you’re chasing it

Considering these factors, the path of medicine seemed like a reasonably sound choice (looking back at this, maybe I missed the boat on being a teacher?). I applied and got a guaranteed postgraduate medicine seat. One undergraduate Physics degree later, I was sitting in a lecture theatre and getting my medical student name badge to wear in hospitals

🦚 Stumbling upon purpose 🌏

During my time in medical school, I made a conscious effort to explore various business ideas and expand my knowledge in different areas. As part of this journey, I took it upon myself to learn computer building and maintenance, which eventually led to a small side business where I built custom PCs for individuals

Working with students from high-SES schools at university highlighted the difference in academic assistance we had during high school. I teamed up with a close friend to establish a tutoring company for students in low-SES schools. Inspired by the way high SES schools partnered with tutoring organizations to provide additional support to their students, we aimed to level the playing field for students in my former school. Our concept was simple: classes with 10-15 students, delivering 70-80% of the benefits found in smaller class settings at a fraction of the price

We reached out to my old school and conducted trial classes, which turned out to be successful. However, things didn’t go to plan and we ultimately ceased the initiative. Even though it didn’t work out, that tutoring business was one of the best things to ever happen to me. While on a call about branding the tutoring business, the idea of Kedyou was born

As I was venting about the frustrations of online education’s lack of interactivity, I proposed the idea of a platform where students could seek help and collaborate on problems together remotely. Little did I know that the COVID-19 pandemic, which was yet to come, would make this need for interactive education widely apparent

Although the tutoring venture didn’t pan out, this idea stayed in my head. I also realized I had a passion for education and empowering students. During my downtime, I started watching teachers like Eddie Woo, who effectively taught complex concepts and shared instructional videos on YouTube, witnessing their students’ moments of clarity and understanding

Wouldn’t it be great if teachers like Eddie Woo could teach students from around the world? How much better would the world be if any student with an internet connection could learn from world-class educators? Besides that, the idea of not having to drive 40 minutes to teach my own students was attractive too. Surely this has already been done, right? I spent a few weeks trying to find the platform I had in mind, to no success. So either it hasn’t been done, or whoever was doing it couldn’t get to someone who spent weeks searching for them. Regardless, it was worth pursuing, so I approached a friend for assistance. I had a fairly ambitious idea at the time, but we decided if we could build something that could help 100 people, it’d be a success

It is often said that when you find purpose, you’ll know it. I didn’t comprehend the true meaning of this statement until I stumbled upon it myself. Discovering something you genuinely love doing is a remarkable experience. Kedyou consumes my thoughts day and night. I find it difficult to sleep because it means temporarily pausing my work

Previously, I used to dread waking up in the mornings, but now I understand what it means when people say something “wakes them up.” I never eagerly anticipated the daily routine of driving to the hospital in traffic and working long shifts. I can’t recall a moment when I didn’t want to sleep because it meant I couldn’t study medicine anymore. I did see it in some of my colleagues though. The stark comparison was another sign that working on Kedyou wholeheartedly was the path worth choosing

🏥 Medicine as a career 💸

As a junior doctor, I learned to stay calm under duress, make level-headed decisions, address patient concerns, and navigate difficult discussions. The ability to directly impact people’s lives and help them through medical expertise is undeniably powerful

While being a doctor is rewarding, it can come with feeling underappreciated and overwhelmed. There is a lot of content on the merits of practising medicine, and I agree with most of it. For the purposes of this piece, I will try to explain the factors that propelled me towards putting my medical career on hold to pursue Kedyou

💡 Brilliant people in a toxic system 🗑

The medical field contains a large group of highly motivated, exceptional individuals who are placed in a toxic system from the start

🥽 Systematic narrowing of focus

From the outset of medical school, you’re told medicine is supposed to consume your life. This is your chosen career path, and you must either embrace the privilege or accept the impending doom resulting from your choices. To succeed, make more sacrifices than your peers, work tirelessly, and do whatever it takes to climb to the top

Within the medical field, the focus is often on climbing the ladder, relentlessly “fighting” for training opportunities, and achieving “success” by attaining the coveted title of consultant. Regrettably, when posed with the question “What do you want to do in life?” to many of my fellow junior doctors, their response centres solely around a medical specialty such as gastroenterology, cardiology, or plastics. When did “What do you want to do in life?” become “What part of medicine do you want to do?” When did success become so narrowly confined to a job title?

Medicine doesn’t play well with having interests outside of its realm. Balancing a rotating roster makes it challenging to maintain consistent social commitments or engage in weekly classes. The invitations extended by non-medical friends for road trips or group events on weekends often clash with the demanding schedule of a doctor. Consequently, many of us drop external social commitments and lose touch with non-medical acquaintances. This perpetuates the cycle further, leaving doctors feeling trapped within the confines of medicine

Recognizing this early on, it became evident that I needed to fight against succumbing to this fate. Actively avoiding non-compulsory medical events and prioritizing spending time with non-medical friends became essential to me. I refused to let my life be defined solely by my profession as a doctor. I wanted to rebel against the system that attempted to convince me otherwise and reclaim control over the narrative of my own life

🎡 Hypercompetitive hamster wheel

Being a junior doctor is like being caught in a hypercompetitive hamster wheel. Every year, the colleges announce the lucky few who made it into training. The display of scarcity makes everyone feel even more inadequate. The “success” of becoming a consultant is only given to a handful of people every year. There is no greater signal that it’s a dog-eat-dog world

Imagine you and your friend both want a spot in a training program. Well, there’s only a set number of sports, so it’s you versus them. What other career expects people in their mid-30s to sacrifice precious family time to do research and publish on weekends, all unpaid? You need to build your resume, do this course, take that course, compete, compete, compete. And the courses aren’t free either, so who actually wins? I’ll let you be the judge

🧠 A baffling superiority complex

Medicine, as an industry, has a superiority complex and it’s easy to see why. Doctors possess the ability to save lives - that’s no small feat. However, this superiority can sometimes create resistance to suggestions from other industries. The belief is that medicine is unique, and doctors are different from professionals in other fields, making it difficult for outsiders to understand the complexities of medicine. This is deeply ingrained in students from the onset of medical school, where we are taught to accept the necessity of narrowing our focus and sacrificing our lives for the sake of medicine

As a result, innovations that originate outside of the healthcare domain are frequently rejected or dismissed outright. But when we take a step back, are we truly that different? A high-pressure scenario in medicine is similar to one in the cockpit of an aeroplane. The airline industry has invested substantial resources in developing assertive communication and breaking down barriers to ensure effective crisis management. However, within medicine, there are still instances where doctors become upset if addressed as “Doctor” instead of “Prof”. This creates an invisible barrier between colleagues who work together as a team

In contrast, the teams where everyone is on a first-name basis have proven to be the safest and most effective teams in my experience. These teams foster an environment where bosses are seen as humans with more experience rather than walking achievements or titles. Such approachability enables open communication and eliminates the fear of feeling inadequate. As a patient, that is precisely the type of medical team I would want—one where members treat each other as equals and prioritize approachability and effective collaboration. If the CEOs of tech companies worth billions of dollars can go by their first names and eat with their staff during breaks, there is no reason why doctors should be any different

The stifling of innovation due to the industry’s superiority complex and subtle barriers will only drive away innovators from the field. I would much rather work in an environment where I can freely create and express my ideas without constraints

📜 Administration vs Doctors

It’s frustrating to dedicate years of your life to developing highly valuable skills, only to feel undervalued and unappreciated. Leave requests are frequently denied and payroll errors seem to occur more often than not. The motivation for pursuing medicine for compassion often gets used as a guilt trip to justify working harder, taking on more responsibilities, and sacrificing well-deserved time off

While most doctors genuinely strive to do what’s right for their patients and the healthcare system, it becomes a bitter pill to swallow when we are continuously lectured and denied basic entitlements, all the while being told that this is what we signed up for

Why continue working in an environment that fails to acknowledge your worth when there are alternative options available? Doctors are capable individuals and will go where they are valued

When you witness your friends in other professions receiving two weeks of leave on one day’s notice, earning higher salaries, and enjoying flexible work hours, it’s natural to question why anyone with the capabilities would choose to stay in such an unrewarding environment

🔀 The crossroads 🚀

In early 2023, I faced a crucial decision: pursue a career in medicine and navigate the ladder or follow my passion for Kedyou. Kedyou doesn’t offer financial stability. But I am a builder at heart, not a fixer (doctors are the quintessential fixers). The stifling system of medicine restricted my ability to innovate and express my thoughts, leaving me suffocated

As a 26-year-old with a youthful spirit, it was time to prioritize Kedyou. I sought advice from my mentors in medicine, and they unanimously encouraged me to take a leap of faith and chase my dream

One of my co-founders had already transitioned to part-time work to focus on Kedyou. If I pursued Kedyou, someone else would fill my shoes as a doctor, but if I didn’t, nobody would build Kedyou. The success of Kedyou has the potential to revolutionise global education and positively change more lives than I could ever achieve in medicine. While the degree of difference I can make as a doctor to a smaller group of individuals is much greater, it doesn’t align with my skillset. When advising students on their career paths, I say two things - chase your dreams and utilize your skills for the betterment of the world. And I must practise what I preach

🌴 Life today 🌞

Almost two months into working on Kedyou full-time while picking up casual locum medical shifts, I am confident that I made the right choice. I’m still putting in the same level of effort as when I was a doctor juggling both Kedyou and medicine, but I find my current work much more fulfilling. I now have time to take care of myself—exercising, cooking my meals, and reconnecting with friends. I don’t have to try and balance two worlds anymore

I want to emphasize that despite expressing frustration earlier, I have no regrets about pursuing a career in medicine. The people I have met, the experiences I have had, and the knowledge I have gained are invaluable to me. I take great pride in being a doctor and knowing that I have already made a positive impact on hundreds of lives through my work. However, I must acknowledge that life is good for me now, and choosing one path doesn’t mean I have to resent the other

🐣 Closing thoughts ⭐

So what’s the moral of the story? I’m not sure there is one, but if I had to pick, it’d be to pursue what wakes you up in the morning. If you haven’t discovered what that is yet, you owe it to yourself to find it. The fear and uncertainty become less daunting once you get started

As for medicine, it will always hold a special place in my heart. However, I can’t help but worry about the exodus of innovators and talented individuals who may leave for environments that value and appreciate them more. I hope for a future where we can see doctors as people, and not a profession. A future where doctors can truly know and understand each other on a human level, beyond our achievements. I also hope for a better system that doesn’t reward excessive overworking and cutthroat competition, but instead encourages innovation and embraces new ideas. A system that is optimistic and open to giving seemingly crazy ideas a chance because, after all, everything important in our lives today was once a crazy idea

To create this better future, we must be willing to embrace change and acknowledge that we can do better. I see the seeds of change being planted at the grassroots level, and I hope this movement continues to grow toward a brighter and more compassionate future for medicine and healthcare as a whole

If you’ve read this far, thank you. It means a lot to me. If you’d like to chat, feel free to contact me, or reach out at elton.rodrigues(at)kedyou.com. Godspeed