Dealing with disappointment in career

[Abe]

Hi everyone, I'd like to get some advice and perspective from people who are probably better balanced than I am. I'm currently training in a prestigious medical residency. Since joining I had been working towards one of a few coveted spots at a prestigious cancer center, that prior residents had gone to. I ended up not getting it, and instead am going to a different center I was somewhat ambivalent about. My prospects at getting a good university job is diminished now. On the one hand it opens up the opportunity to pursue a career that isn't all driven by prestige/academic advancement/blah. On the other hand, I worry about what type of job I can land and feel I let down my mentors, who had assumed I would get the top position. My question is: how do you all deal with disappointment in your career plans? Any advice is appreciated.

[VladTheImpaler]

Without knowing more about your situation I would just offer the general advice to not worry about whether or not your mentors are disappointed and instead focus on choosing a career path that works for you.

To thine own self be true.

and if it makes you feel any better, you are still doing better than 95% of the general population.

[letired]

Once you let yourself off the academic success/career/prestige/other people's expectations treadmill, life is much much nicer and way less stressful. Of course, by the time I was done with the whole thing, I was massively burnt out, so YMMV.

Also there is always someone smarter/more hard-working/more handsome/prettier/better connected than you are. C'est la vie, etc etc.