Most popular physician non-clinical jobs and careers for 2009

In 2009, many physicians became highly motivated to leave the world of clinical medicine. Some of the most popular non-clinical jobs and careers that were discussed and researched among physicians interested in a career transition include:

• medical writing (medical communications, medical education, consumer health, etc.)
• health information technology (medical informatics, personal health records, data integration, etc.)
• consulting (with a large consulting firm, a small company, or as an independent medical consultant)
• pharma/biotech (despite all the job cuts, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring, there are many jobs for physicians)

So, how does 2010 look compared to 2009? I think we'll still see a large interest in these 4 areas with a growing interest in health IT because of the Health IT or HITECH provisions within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). My prediction is that even more physicians will seek to leave clinical medicine and search for non-clinical careers. Perhaps you're thinking about a career transition but you're not sure when to make the switch. When the topic of "timing" is discussed among physicians, almost everyone unanimously voice that they wish they had made the transition sooner in their careers. If you're not happy with your current situation, perhaps it's time for a change. Maybe you need to be in a different clinical environment. Or, perhaps you need to leave medicine and pursue something entirely non-clinical.