When Diane Van Staden, PhD, moved from South Africa to Canada in 2022, she found herself at a professional crossroads. After a long career in academia and public eye health, she faced a question she’d heard from many of her students and colleagues: “What’s next for me?”
That question sparked “Life Beyond Clinical Practice,” the podcast she launched in 2023 to share her own career pivot journey and help health professionals transition with confidence. “I saw a pattern of colleagues being misaligned in their career paths, evidenced by a lack of spark,” she says. “Many faced frustration or boredom or felt stuck in roles with little variation or opportunity for career progression. I wanted to help solve that problem and teach others how to transfer their skills into roles that truly fit who they are and what they’re passionate about.”
A SEARCH FOR MEANING
Dr. Van Staden began her career in private practice in Cape Town in 1999. While she loved connecting with patients, the routine soon became predictable. “I realized I could almost do an eye exam with my eyes closed,” she says with a laugh. She remembered the people she’d grown up with—those without access to basic eye care—and realized she wanted to make a broader impact. “The lack of fulfillment I experienced, coupled with the need to make a bigger, more meaningful contribution, drove me out of private practice,” she says.
A three-month sabbatical to visit her sister in Washington, D.C., allowed her to explore her next steps. When she returned, an opportunity arose to fill in for a professor on leave while pursuing a master’s degree, opening the door to academia and public health. “We were doing community screenings, working with hospitals and helping rural populations gain access to refractive services. Many of the people I saw then had never had an eye exam before we started the outreach. It was such meaningful work,” she says.
BUILDING EYE CARE ACCESS
Her work expanded through the International Centre for Eyecare Education, helping develop eye care training programs in several African countries, including Malawi, Mozambique, and Eritrea, in consultation with governments and local development agencies. Later, she transitioned fully into academia, training the next generation of optometrists at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and beyond. “We were still teaching students to see one patient after another in a private practice model,” she says. “But I wanted them to see the bigger picture—to understand the need to scale efforts and advocate for broader access, so optometry could be integrated into primary care.”
Her role grew to leadership in teaching and learning for other allied health programs, including physical and occupational therapy, pharmacy, and dental therapy. Across disciplines, she noticed a pattern: students and clinicians losing passion or feeling something was missing. “I started wondering how I could help clinicians and future clinicians draw on what they’re naturally good at and align that with something they are passionate about. I wanted them to show up to work with a spark and energy for the work they do,” she says. “That became my ‘why.’”
A NEW CHAPTER
Looking for a personal change, Dr. Van Staden moved closer to family in Canada, leaving a thriving academic career behind. “I felt like I’d committed professional suicide,” she says. Soon, she realized her next step wasn’t finding another job—it was addressing the persistent issue of professional discontent and using her skills to help others find purpose-centered clarity. That’s when “Life Beyond Clinical Practice” was born.
Each episode draws on her experience navigating career pivots, identity shifts, and professional evolution. While her roots are in optometry, her message extends across disciplines. “The first step is self-awareness—understanding your personality, interests, and what you want your life and work to look like,” she says. “Being better at things outside of mainstream optometry—or commonly practiced areas—doesn’t make you less than your colleagues. It means you’re more likely to thrive in roles that harness your strengths and align with your interests. It worked for me, and that’s why my podcast focuses on career alignment.”
She encourages listeners to release the shame of feeling unfulfilled. “If something isn’t landing for you anymore, admit it and take action to move in a direction that better serves you,” she says. “When you embrace that truth, the magic happens. You start on a path based on authenticity. When you step into an aligned role, it no longer feels like work.”
Dr. Van Staden hopes her podcast helps health professionals see that fulfillment doesn’t require abandoning their skills—it’s about realigning them. “You can use 20 years of experience somewhere else,” she says. “For some, that’s management. For others, it’s research, academia, or something completely new.”
For her, the podcast is a continuation of a lifelong mission: helping others find purpose and joy in their work. “For a long time, I was just playing the part, until I learned to live my truth,” she says. “Now, I know who I am and what my purpose is. It’s so liberating that I want to help others get there, too.”
