Non-clinical jobs in cardiovascular medicine #ACC11

I'm currently in New Orleans attending the ACC.11 & i2 Summit 2011 and my registation bag contained a "CardioCareer & CME Guide." Is fee for service dead? What is the future of private practice cardiology? Is it time to transition into industry?

The CardioCareer Guide has a job listing near the front where a major pharmaceutical company is advertising for a "medical affairs director" in the cardiovascular therapeutic area. The requirement states:

This position will oversee the strategic and tactical implementation of the commercial Medial Research team in the Cardiovascular area. Qualified candidates must have an MD; advanced training in internal medicine/cardiology is highly desired. 

There's no doubt that we will continue to see job openings in the cardiovascular drug industry. After all, heart disease continues to be a leading cause of death in this country and there is tremendous morbidity associated with a host of cardiovascular conditions.

It's important to remember that you don't need to be a cardiologist to work in the cardiovascular area. You'll have a competitive advantage if you area a cardiologist, but many of these positions are not exclusively for cardiologists. After all, we have to recognize that certain industry positions won't compensate at the same level that a cardiologist may make, so they may fill these positions with non-cardiologists.