Attend the Medical Fusion conference and explore alternative career opportunities

Medical Fusion brings together physician thought leaders as mentors who have developed careers outside of traditional, clinical practice.

Whether you are a medical student, a budding physician entrepreneur, a full time clinician with a busy practice, or a seasoned physician considering retirement, Medical Fusion will help you evaluate your options, teach you unique ways to leverage your clinical training, and introduce you to career possibilities that you have not considered. Come learn from physicians who have already succeeded in their attempts to create more personal freedom, a more balanced lifestyle, increased financial security, and a thriving career.

2011 Medical Fusion
November 11-13
ARIA Resort & Casino, Las Vegas

“The Medical Fusion Conference is a great way to meet other physicians considering non-clinical transitions or learn more about how to supplement your income. If you’re stuck in a rut, I’d recommend it.”
Arlen D. Meyers, MD, MBA, President and CMO of Medvoy.com, CEO, Society of Physician Entrepreneurs

Here's a short video about the conference:


Learn more about the Medical Fusion conference here.

Being in the hospital reminds me why I don't miss working in the hospital

Recently, I was in the hospital because my wife delivered our 3rd baby! The last time I was in the hospital was almost two years ago when we had our 2nd baby.

Each time I spend time in a hospital, I'm reminded about the reasons why I no longer miss clinical medicine. I used to work in a hospital and I remember being on call, eating in the hospital cafeteria, walking the halls in the middle of the night, and seeing so many sick patients.

Physicians in Transition: Doctors Who Successfully Reinvented Themselves

Physicians in Transition: Doctors Who Successfully Reinvented Themselves
by Drs. Richard Fernandez and Michelle Mudge-Riley

This is more than a book about physicians in transition, it is a book about remarkable people who have overcome obstacles in the pursuit of personal happiness and career satisfaction. Most physicians entered the medical field believing that sacrifices were inevitable but that the hard work and dedication would lead to a successful and satisfying career. Most people think the term "physician" implies the ultimate professional career choice. Why aren't physicians happy? What obstacles prevent them from this personal and career fulfillment? For some physicians, the stress levels have progressed to the point of exhaustion and fatigue and in more severe cases, substance abuse or severe depression. This book will introduce you to individual doctors who felt lost, trapped, exhausted, sick, guilty, frightened and an array of other emotions. These doctors may not have understood the feelings or the root cause of the problem but they faced it head on, got through it and overcame the feelings.

Get it here: Physicians in Transition: Doctors Who Successfully Reinvented Themselves

The 50 Best Careers of 2011

US News and World Report has released an article where they feature the "50 Best Careers of 2011." As expected, a number of those careers are in the health care industry.

Here are the health care careers that they picked:

• Athletic trainer
• Dental hygienist
• Lab technician
• Massage therapist
• Occupational therapist
• Optometrist
• Physician assistant
• Physical therapist
• Physical therapist assistant
• Radiologic technologist
• Registered nurse
• School psychologist
• Veterinarian

So, I see that physician isn't on the list. What does this imply? Does it suggest that physician careers are not so appealing if they're not considered one of the 50 best careers?  Maybe this is why so many physicians are looking for alternative careers outside of clinical medicine.

Non-clinical elective rotation for 4th-year medical students

I've been asked to precept a 4th year medical student for a non-clinical elective rotation. This will be the first time I will be doing this, but it's great to see that some medical schools are progressive enough to be willing to allow their 4th year medical students to pursue non-traditional elective rotations. When I was in medical school, I really wanted to do an international health elective but I couldn't pull it together because I was busy with wedding plans (I got married immediately following medical school graduation).

Are you a medical student? If you're interested in pursuing a non-clinical elective rotation, you should ask your school to see if they'd approve such an elective. Let me know and perhaps we can generate a list of medical schools (that are open to such ideas) and elective opportunities.

What types of physicians pursue alternative career paths?

According to a study published in 2007, certain medical school graduates are more likely to pursue alternative career paths. What types of physicians are they?

Graduates reporting Hispanic race/ethnicity or no response to race/ethnicity, lower debt, dual advanced degrees at graduation, and psychiatric-specialty choice were consistently more likely to plan to pursue alternative careers.

The article is titled, "The changing paradigm of contemporary U.S. allopathic medical school graduates' career paths: analysis of the 1997-2004 national AAMC Graduation Questionnaire database."

Here's the abstract:

PURPOSE: During the last 15 years, the proportion of U.S. allopathic medical graduates planning to pursue alternative careers (other than full-time clinical practice) has been increasing. The authors sought to identify factors associated with contemporary medical graduates' career-setting plans.

METHOD: The authors obtained anonymous data from the 108,408 U.S. allopathic medical graduates who completed the 1997-2004 national Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire (GQ). Using multinomial logistic regression, responses to eight GQ items regarding graduates' demographics, medical school characteristics, and specialty choice were tested in association with three career-setting plans (full-time university faculty; other, including government agencies, non-university-based research, or medical or health care administration; or undecided) compared with full-time (nonacademic) clinical practice.

RESULTS: The sample included 94,101 (86.8% of 108,408) GQ respondents with complete data. From 1997 to 2004, the proportions of graduates planning full-time clinical practice careers decreased from 51.3% to 46.5%; the proportions selecting primary care and obstetrics-gynecology specialties also decreased. Graduates reporting Hispanic race/ethnicity or no response to race/ethnicity, lower debt, dual advanced degrees at graduation, and psychiatric-specialty choice were consistently more likely to plan to pursue alternative careers. Graduates selecting an obstetrics-gynecology specialty/ subspecialty were consistently less likely to plan to pursue alternative careers. Being female, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black or Native American/Alaskan, and selecting non-primary-care specialties were variably associated with alternative career plans.

CONCLUSIONS: As the medical student population becomes more demographically diverse, as graduates increasingly select non-primary-care specialties, and as dual-degree-program graduates and alternative career opportunities for physicians expand, the proportion of U.S. graduates planning full-time clinical practice careers likely will continue to decline.

Jeffe DB, Andriole DA, Hageman HL, Whelan AJ. The changing paradigm of contemporary U.S. allopathic medical school graduates' career paths: analysis of the 1997-2004 national AAMC Graduation Questionnaire database. Acad Med. 2007 Sep;82(9):888-94.

PMID: 17726402

American Academy of Pediatrics: non-clinical career resources

The American Academy of Pediatrics is providing some non-clinical career resources to their members. One article is titled, "Transitioning to a Non-Clinical Career" and you can read it here.

You can view these Career Change resources here. Keep in mind that the AAP makes a disclaimer:

These resources have not been investigated by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP takes no responsibility for these resources.

Speaking of the AAP, I know a number of pediatricians (both men and women) who have pursued non-clinical careers. Some may continue to work clinically part-time, but many are now spending 100% of their working time doing something non-clinical. Some work from home as medical writers. Others may work for a pharmaceutical company or a biotechnology company. Some are now working for the FDA or a state health department.

Rita's Blendini and the Concept of a Blended Career

I really enjoy Rita's Italian Ice (or Water Ice). I also like Rita's Frozen Custard. They have a product called the Blendini where they mix the Italian Ice with Frozen Custard. What do you think about the idea of blending those two things together? As I was eating a Blendini the other day, I thought about the concept of a blended career for physicians who wish to mix clinical with non-clinical work.

Some physicians achieve a very high level of career satisfaction by having a blended career. By "blended career," I mean a career that includes a combination of clinical duties and non-clinical responsibilities. You can achieve this in the hospital or outpatient practice, but what if you were found some non-clinical opportunities in other industries such as medical education, venture capital, health information technology, or management consulting? Would you be willing to work part-time in the clinical setting so that you can pursue a second part-time career in the world of business?

I know many physicians who are doing this and they're loving the flexibility and diversity they're experiencing. For instance, one emergency medicine physician may only work 10 shifts per month and spend the rest of the time consulting and traveling to meet with clients. An anesthesiologist may only work in the operating room 10 days/month and spend the rest of the time providing strategic medical leadership and direction for a health information technology company. An internist may work as a hospitalist and work 1 week out of a month to have 3 weeks where she can work on some medical writing projects and work from home. A pediatrician may work 10 hrs/week and spend the rest of the time privately teaching or tutoring medical students on nights and weekends. Some pharmaceutical physicians who work full time also maintain an active medical license so they can see patients a few times each month.

You don't have to leave clinical medicine if you wish to pursue alternative careers as a physician. There are many ways to maintain and establish a blended career. Perhaps Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN is a perfect example of a physician who maintains a very active blended career.

Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society

Have you heard of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society? One physician registered on Sermo asked this question: "Why isn't Hyperbaric Medicine a recognized specialty on SERMO?"

Although I practice as a primary care internist, I am a former nuclear trained U. S. Navy Medical Officer who was qualified in Submarine and Diving Medicine .

I am a member of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society and my practice has included treatment of decompression sickness in divers, supervision of hypberbaric oxygen therapy and physical examinations to determine medical qualification for U. S. Submarine Service and fitness to dive .

I am interested in hyperbaric medicine, but can not choose it as a secondary specialty or a special interest in a SERMO profile.

The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society is not your "typical"  medical society. In fact, it may be considered non-traditional by many physicians. If you're a medical student and you're thinking about an alternative medical career, perhaps you should research careers in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.  Learn more here: http://www.uhms.org/

Career Counseling Articles from the American College of Physicians

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has a section on their website called, "Career Counseling." It's designed primarily for residents, but I've found the articles to be helpful for students and practicing physicians. There are some of the topics that are covered:

* Training, Certification and Licensing
* Practice and Career Options
* Searching for the Right Career Opportunity
* Marketing Yourself
* The Contract, Compensation and Malpractice Insurance
* Personal Finances
* Setting Up the Practice

I think there's room for an article on non-clinical career options for those who don't feel that clinical medicine is the right option.  Such individuals may be looking for information about alternative physician careers. I don't think they'll find much on the ACP website about that. In fact, I don't think any medical student or resident will find much information about non-clinical career options on any medical specialty society website. They probably won't find anything on the AMA website either (unless they happen to stumble on this article).

If you know any medical students, residents, or physicians who are seriously considering a career outside of traditional clinical medicine, please refer them to NonClinicalJobs.com so that they can gain some insights about alternative career options that might be appropriate for them. 

Alternative Careers for Physicians

Have you read the JAMA PULSE edition titled, "Making a Living: Alternative Careers for Physicians?" PULSE is the medical student section of JAMA. Now, this was written back in 1998 and it was written in the context that people believed that we would face a surplus of physicians in this nation. I think we all know that the opposite is now true.

The Editor's Note is written by Jason A. Konner, a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine (remember, this was back in 1998). It appears that Dr. Konner is now a medical oncologist in NY at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (see his bio here). I like his quote where he said, "Tomorrow’s doctors should not be unemployed; rather, they should be redefined." I still believe that's true today. Any physician who chooses to pursue an alternative or non-traditional career path should have the opportunity to redefine a medical career. After all, in today's world, it's rare to find physicians having the opportunity to repeat a residency in a different specialty.

In this edition of PULSE, the two main alternative career paths that get highlighted include:

1. Medical Journalism
2. Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology

15 reasons why physicians may choose to pursue alternative careers

There are so many reasons why physicians choose to leave, but let me list a few so that people don't make any quick assumptions:

1. Financial gain (we can't deny that some pursue non-clinical opportunities because of the potential for higher income generation)
2. Improved work/life balance (even at the cost of lower income for some physicians)
3. Disability (yes, doctors can get disabled, but in many cases they can continue to work and still collect disability - depending on the type of insurance you purchased)
4. Instability (you may not be disabled, but you may be impaired for a variety of reasons. some lose their medical license. others may lose hospital privileges.)
5. They find new opportunities (if you're an entrepreneur and you identify a huge opportunity, why not?)
6. To have a blended career (30% clinical, 30% non-clinical, 30% at home)
7. To work from home (if you're working virtually, then you can work from anywhere in the world)
8. Burn out (yes, it happens to everyone. I hope you can bounce back)
9. Rising malpractice premiums (especially true if you've been sued several times)
10. Emotional drain (if you're working in hospice, geriatrics, or oncology, then you're faced with death all the time. how would you handle that?)
11. To travel the world (some love to travel, so why not travel on the company's budget? jobs in sales, consulting, or media. Where do you think Sanjay Gupta's been?)
12. To work in public health (FDA, state health departments, and many international public health jobs with the WHO)
13. Government benefits (medical officer jobs with the FDA, the NIH, etc.)
14. Of course, there are also those who simply wish to avoid the smell of gangrenous wounds and colostomy pouches. Or, maybe they don't wish to ever perform another Pap smear. Or, maybe they're tired of dealing with certain types of patients. This list goes on...
15. Healthcare reform (really? Yes. Make sure to read:  How many doctors will leave medicine this year?)

These 15 reasons aren't in any particular order, but they ought to give you a sense of some of the driving motivators that cause physicians to leave a career in medicine. 

Alternative Careers in Medicine

There's an article on published in the Next Generation titled, "Alternative Careers in Medicine." It looks like it was published in 2007 and the article is based on an interview with John R. Wesley, M.D., a medical business consultant, Adjunct Professor of Surgery at Northwestern University Medical School, and the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Rhoads Research Foundation, American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
Dr. Wesley worked at Baxter Healthcare, a global pharmaceutical and medical devices company. He emphasizes the importance of his professional network and he encourages self-awareness and an open mind: "Ask yourself, 'Is this what I want?'"

Read the article titled, "Alternative Careers in Medicine" by visiting the Next Generation. The Next Generation is an independent online publication produced in collaboration with Editors of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Where Have All the General Internists Gone?

There's an article in Journal of General Internal Medicine titled, "Where Have All the General Internists Gone?" Are internists stepping into careers outside of internal medicine? I think the answer is yes. Where are they going?  You'll have to read this.

I hope I'm not to blame for some of this mid-career attrition. My intent is not to contribute to the growing physician shortage problem. Rather, I hope to provide information about career medical alternatives for those who are already planning on leaving a career in clinical medicine.

Here's the background on the article:

A shortage of primary care physicians is expected, due in part to decreasing numbers of physicians entering general internal medicine (GIM). Practicing general internists may contribute to the shortage by leaving internal medicine (IM) for other careers in and out of medicine.

The authors conclude:

About one in six general internists leave IM by mid-career compared to one in 25 IM subspecialists. Although research finds that doctors leave medicine because of dissatisfaction, this study was inconclusive about whether general internists left IM in greater proportion than IM subspecialists for this reason. A more likely explanation is that GIM serves as a stepping stone to careers outside of IM.

Why is this occurring?  Perhaps one reason is because of career satisfaction. The authors wrote: A significantly lower proportion of general internists (70%) than IM subspecialists [(77%) (P < 0.008)] were satisfied with their career.

To read the abstract from the  Journal of General Internal Medicine, click on this link.

A Cartoon Guide to Becoming a Non-Clinical Doctor

Fizzy at "A Cartoon Guide to Becoming a Doctor" has drawn an entertaining cartoon depicting doctors who hate medicine and wish to pursue alternative careers in medicine. Take a look at the cartoon.

Alternative Careers in Science and Medicine

There's an old PowerPoint presentation by Carl Clay, PhD titled, "Alternative Careers in Science and Medicine." You can easily find it out there on the Internet by performing a search on Google or by clicking on the links below. The data appears to be from 2004 (salary data from HotJobs.com and Abbott-Langer.com), but the slides contain some very useful information for any physician or scientists interested in scientific/medical writing.

He starts with a section called, "Careers in Science and Medical Writing."  Then, he provides some details about his company, and then moves to "What Employers Look For" and "What Employees Look For." Then, he tackles the topic of salary (What Kind of Salary can I Expect?) and ends with a section titled, "Writing and Job Search Resources." It's a nice presentation, even though the day is from 2004.

Best alternative careers for physicians

The other day, I wanted to know what I'd find if I typed "best alternative careers for physicians" into Google.

As I started typing, the search box got pre-populated with the phrase "best alternative careers for lawyers." Attorneys must be really miserable with their jobs. Of course, visitors to this site may think that physicians have low levels of job satisfaction. Then, I went back to Google and typed, "alternative careers for" and I wanted to know how the list would get populated. The most common phrase is "alternative careers for lawyers," followed by "alternative careers for teachers." Doctors and physicians ranked #3 and #6, respectively. Here are the top "10" professions who are looking on Google to find information about alternative careers:

1. lawyers
2. teachers
3. doctors
4. architects
5. nurses
6. physicians
7. attorneys
8. engineers
9. accountants
10. librarians

Wow, there are many people out there who are looking for alternative careers.  Why is that the case? Why would a librarian or an architect want to find an alternative career?

Medical writing jobs for physicians

If you're considering a career transition into medical writing, click here to view some current medical writing jobs. Medical writing is a great alternative physician career if you want to have the flexibility to work from home, set your own hours, and be your own boss.  Some physicians also work as part-time medical writers.

Click here to view medical writing jobs here on NonClinicalJobs.com. To learn how you can get started in the medical writing industry, consider working with a career coach who can guide you through that process.

5 frequently asked questions from physicians considering non-clinical career transitions

I speak with many physicians who are interested in leaving clinical medicine to pursue an alternative career (non-clinical job) and they always seem to ask the same types of questions. Let's dig into some of those "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)" by exploring some common questions that are rooted in myths and misconceptions.

Here are some questions that I get all the time from physicians who are considering a career transition:

1. How do I "break in" to the industry (such as pharma) when I don't have any pharma experience? All the jobs seem to require industry experience.
2. What type of salary ranges can I expect?
3. Do I need to complete a residency? 
4. How much travel is generally involved with these types of jobs?
5. Do I need to get an advanced degree like an MBA, an MPH, (or an MS in informatics for a health IT job)?

The answers to some of these questions can be rather complex, but let me address a few issues:

First, you don't need to complete a residency or get an advanced degree to be successful in the non-clinical world. Board certification is helpful (and is necessary for certain types of positions in medical management, managed care, etc.). An MBA, MPH, or MS offers no guarantee that you'll succeed. It may provide you with additional resources,

Where you can find alternative non-clinical physician jobs

Are you looking for an alternative career? A full-time job? Part-time? Maybe you're looking for some alternative sources of supplemental income?

If you're looking for non-clinical job opportunities, make sure you're looking on the Internet. You'd be surprised how many physicians forget to search on the web to find these types of job opportunities.

There are thousands of non-clinical jobs listed on this job search page:  Search for Jobs  

It's also critical to expand your social network and to leverage your connections if you're planning on making a career transition.