Health care reform changes will drive more physicians to leave clinical medicine

It’s hard to find many physicians who are excited about the upcoming health care reform changes. Most physicians are complaining and some are preparing for early retirement. There are a growing number of physicians who are actively preparing for a non-clinical career transition so they can escape patient care and go into administration or business. If we could graph physician enrollment into MBA programs, we’d probably see a noticeable increase that started in 2009 or 2010. Many physicians are pursuing an MBA so they can get prepared for the non-clinical world of business.

Recently, I’ve also been speaking with a growing number of physicians who are looking for opportunities to get involved in non-clinical opportunities while they continue to practice medicine. These physicians are blending their clinical career with a parallel non-clinical career. I know some physicians who are working in business during the day and moonlighting in the ER on the weekends. Others are working part-time in the hospital and consulting on their non-clinical days.

Organizations like the Society of Physicians with Non-Clinical Careers are seeing significant growth in membership.

If you’re considering a possible career transition in the near future, I encourage you to receive our updates from NonClinicalJobs.com so that you can learn about the different types of job opportunities that are possible. Jumping out of clinical medicine isn’t an easy transition for most physicians. You probably won’t make the transition overnight, so get informed so that you’re prepared when that transition day arrives.

Learn about non-clinical careers here on NonClinicalJobs.com

Are you interested in learning more about different types of non-clinical careers? It’s a paradigm shift to move away from direct patient care and to enter the business world. Making a paradigm shift isn’t easy or comfortable.

Here on NonClinicalJobs.com, you can explore a variety of non-clinical careers by doing the following:

1. Reading different job descriptions associated with specific jobs
2. Connect with other physicians who are working in those industries
3. Participating in conference calls where we will discuss the specifics associated with different industry positions
4. Reading stories about physicians who are working in different non-clinical industry sectors
5. Learning about networking events, conferences, and other types of meetings where you can explore non-clinical careers
6. Asking questions related to specific industry positions
7. Meeting executive recruiters and others who may know of potential job leads
8. Receiving individualized career coaching services from mentors and career coaches who specialize in helping physicians transition out of clinical medicine

I encourage you to visit NonClinicalJobs.com frequently and to subscribe to updates via email. You can meet other physicians by joining the Society of Physicians with Non-Clinical Careers. Membership is free and you can interact with others on the closed, private forums or by participating in open discussions on public social networking sites like LinkedIn.

Join Me on Jan 5 for Group Career Coaching and "Let's Talk NonClinicalJobs"

Here's an opportunity to join me on the phone so that we can discuss non-clinical career opportunities.

"Let's Talk NonClinicalJobs: Group Career Coaching" is a group career coaching conference call service for physicians, medical students, and others who are interested in pursuing non-clinical job opportunities. I am providing this as a cost-effective option for those who are exploring non-clinical careers. I am still offering an individualized career coaching service (more information here).

Our next group career coaching conference call titled "Let's Talk NonClinicalJobs" is scheduled for Wed, Jan 5th at 9 pm Eastern time. Before the call, you'll have the opportunity to tell me about your situation so that I have a better understanding of your background. All email communications will be held highly confidential.

During the conference call, we will talk about the following:*

• Career opportunities for recent medical school graduates who have no or partial residency experience.
• Unique career barriers and opportunities for foreign medical graduates.
• Part-time and full-time employment opportunities for experienced physicians who have 3+ years of clinical experience (but no industry experience).

*The agenda is subject to change based on who registers for the call.

This conference call will be limited to 5 participants. If the call fills up, I will schedule an additional call in January. The call will be an interactive discussion and you'll have plenty of opportunities to ask specific questions. If you'd like to participate but the scheduled day/time for the call does not fit your schedule, please contact me.

Physician burnout: what's the solution?

There have been a number of articles over the years evaluating physician burnout. Due to changes in reimbursement over the past few decades, physicians are often seeing more patients each day. They're spending less time with each patient and they're burning out because of the increased workload, the paperwork, and the stress associated with the practice of clinical medicine. So, what's the solution?

We know that some physicians are leaving clinical practice to pursue other careers. Others are looking for less strenuous work models such as cash or concierge practices. Is this the right solution? Are these physicians finding better work/life balance after making these types of transitions?

I think the solution needs to start in the medical schools. Students need to be educated about the importance of work/life balance and they also need to learn how to creatively develop practice models that will allow them to reach an appropriate balance. Our health care system also needs to be changed so that physicians are being adequately reimbursed for their services.

For those who do choose to leave clinical medicine, they need to know how to find the right opportunities. If you're a surgeon and you want to pursue a non-clinical career, do you know what you could do with your education and training? What if you're a radiologist or a pathologist? If you're considering a career transition, you may want to work with a career coach who can guide you through that process. Click here to learn about the career coaching services we offer on NonClinicalJobs.com.

When the job description says "experience required"

Many job descriptions indicate that a certain level of experience is required. Even if you have a resume that's rewritten by a professional, your biggest obstacle may be the fact that you've never worked in the industry. So, how do you "break in" if you don't have any experience within that specific industry?

There are obviously entry points because everyone has to start somewhere.

I've helped a number of physicians successfully navigate beyond the "experience required" obstacles when they've been considering a career transition. In general, I apply the following principles:

1. Find jobs in industries where they are more likely to consider an "entry-level" candidate. You may have 20 years of clinical experience, but if you've never worked in industry, then you might need to start at ground zero. Once you "break in," then you may find that it's easier to switch to a different industry to end up where you really want to be.

2. Leverage your professional social network to get your "foot into the door." Sometimes, you simply need to impress them through an interview. It may be impossible to get an interview if the HR person dismisses your resume because you lack experience.

3. Demonstrate your working knowledge of the industry and the job description in your cover letter. Some HR professionals will tell you not to waste time with a cover letter. However, this is where you may be able to demonstrate that you really understand what the job entails and that you wouldn't be starting "from scratch."

4. Gain experience by working as an independent consultant or freelancer. You can do this part-time while you're still working clinically. By working as a consultant, you'll develop relationships and you'll gain some valuable experience that may allow you to qualify for certain jobs.

5. Gain experience by volunteering. This may not seem appealing, but it could be the right type of time investment that will help you launch your career. If you gain experience by volunteering, leverage the relationships that you build because those individuals may help you get your foot into the door. You'll also want them to serve as professional references for you.

At the end of the day, you may find that the most effective way to transition into the non-clinical world is through the guidance of a professional career coach or counselor.

Career advice articles from TheLadders

I'm on the mailing list for TheLadders.com and I get their newsletter that features some of their career advice articles. Take a look at some of these career advice titles:

Creating Effective Cover Letters
HR pros are divided about how much attention they give these documents. But if it reaches the right hands, a well-crafted cover letter can win the job.

Make Your Resume Answer Someone's Prayers
Use your resume to show you understand the employer's needs and embody the solution.

Facing 50 Questions for Every Job Interview
Michigan job seeker Connie Corwin grew tired of being stumped on interviews, so she made her own prep list of questions and answers for every eventuality.

Best Practices for the Happy Hour Interview
What to wear, what to drink and when to call it a night.

The Minds of HR Pros and Recruiters
Find out why they choose one candidate over another.

Looking for jobs that pay over $100k per year? Find $100K+ Jobs at TheLadders.com. If you're having difficulty focusing your job search, you may want to leverage TheLadders.com

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. 

An online chat with a career counselor for MIT alumni

As a member of the MIT Alumni Association, I'm also an active career member of the ICAN or the Institute Career Assistance Network (ICAN). The ICAN consists of over 3,000 advisors. The Institute Career Assistance Network (ICAN) connects MIT alumni with each other and with students to facilitate career strategies, gather quality advice, and open up important networking connections

On May 13, 2010, the MIT Alumni Association held an online chat with a professional career counselor. Over 100 questions were answered and I think you'll find some of this content very relevant. Questions and answers revolved around the following themes:

• Transitioning back into the work force after a period of absence
• Going back to school
• Transition from academia to industry
• Losing a job at Pfizer
• Outplacement services
• Effective networking strategies
• Value of career counseling
• Salary negotiations
• Retired folks looking for part-time consulting opportunities
• Making a career transition
• Leadership and innovation
• How age affects your job search
• Being geographically restricted during a job search
• Job opportunities in management consulting
• Working for a start-up company
• Informational interviews (also known as networking)
• How to get a promotion
• Finding a mentor
• International job opportunities
• How to leverage LinkedIn

You can access the transcript of the online chat here (PDF). Update: New Link Here (PDF).

10 Questions to consider before leaving clinical medicine

I'm constantly speaking with physicians about non-clinical career options. Some physicians wish to work in venture capital or investment banking and others simply have no idea what they could do if they left clinical medicine. I often start my discussions with the following questions: 

1.    What are the 3 most important/valuable things in your life?
2.    If you didn't have to worry about money or finances, what would you want to do with your life?
3.    If you had to start over, would you choose medicine? (if so, the same specialty?) If not a career in medicine, then what type of career would you choose?
4.    How happy/miserable are you in your current clinical practice? (rate on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 = hate, 10 = love)  Assuming that you are not very happy right now: what do you dislike about practicing medicine?
5.    How much flexibility do you have to relocate?
6.    What is your minimum salary requirement for the next 2-3 years?
7.    How much time would you be willing to spend traveling for work?
8.    Is there a specific non-clinical career path that you’d like to pursue?
9.    Do you enjoy writing? teaching? (rate on a scale of 1-10, 10 = highest)
10.    How many physicians do you know who are currently working in a non-clinical setting?




If you're seriously thinking about a career change, think about these questions. It's a simple way to assess realistic expectations and goals for both the short-term and long-term future. There are so many additional questions that also must get asked, such as:

• Are you willing to take risks if the potential benefits (and losses) may be great? 
• Are you willing to go back to school?
• How soon do you plan to leave medicine?
• Will you have any regrets if you never return to clinical practice?
• etc.

The list of questions can be endless, but I don't have time to get into all of those issues in a single conversation.  If you'd like to explore our personalized career coaching services, click here to learn more.

Are you looking for a career coach?

Perhaps you're thinking about a career transition. Maybe you're ready to leave clinical medicine but you're not entirely sure how to make the leap. Could you use a career coach?

In general, physicians like to be self-sufficient and we don't like to ask for help. Some of you may be very miserable with your current career and perhaps you recognize the fact that you will quickly burn out or grow very unhappy with your career as the years go by.

Some people have the right skills and talents to easily transition from the clinical world to a non-clinical industry. Others may lack certain key skill sets and they may feel inadequate because they lack formal training in business, public health, informatics, etc. Do you really need an MBA or an MPH to make a successful transition into the non-clinical world? How strong is your CV? Is your resume getting thrown into the "discard" pile?

Maybe you've been on a few job interviews but you haven't gotten an offer. Perhaps you may benefit by getting some candid feedback about your interviewing skills. Need help negotiating your next salary?

A professional career coach can help in many areas. I work with several professionals to offer a variety of career coaching services for physicians who are interested in pursuing non-clinical careers in different sectors of health care such as the pharmaceutical industry, medical education, consulting, public health, etc. If you've been thinking about a career transition, maybe we can help. Learn more about some of our career services by clicking here.

Physician salary negotiation services

Don't forget that we currently provide a career service for physicians who are looking for salary negotiation coaching. Do you know how to position yourself to ensure that you'll receive the best compensation package as you negotiate salary? Perhaps you'd like to gain some insight from HR professionals who have worked in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Here's an example of some of the services we provide:

• Financial Services: You will have an unique opportunity to work with a former Investment Banker on Wall Street who transitioned his career into Human Resources (HR), specializing in Staffing and Recruiting. Within this field, he has 10+ years experience as an internal HR recruiter, and external executive recruiter, across a variety of different industries ranging from Finance, Management Consulting, Pharma, Bio-tech, IT, etc... He can provide you with guidance/coaching from the pre-interview stage to post-offer stage. He has experience both as an internal HR recruiter, and external executive recruiter managing total compensation packages up to $750K. He can provide valuable insight as to how "HR" operates, and how you can successfully navigate around 'HR" to maximize your compensation package.

If you're looking for a career coach, make sure to read this.

Counseling physicians who are thinking about leaving clinical medicine

How many physicians think about leaving clinical medicine?

I've personally had the opportunity to correspond with many physicians about this topic. When discussions revolving around health care reform were active, there were probably even more physicians actively thinking about leaving clinical practice.

Here are some common questions that repeatedly seem to come up:

• Does it make sense to leave a relatively "stable" career in clinical medicine to pursue a business career during a recession?
• How do I make the transition if I lack industry work experience?
• What type of salary could I expect to make if I leave clinical medicine to work for a company?
• How long will it take to find a non-clinical job?

The answer to all of these question is: "it depends."

So many factors impact the answers to these questions. Some of those factors include:

• Your age
• Your medical specialty
• Your ability/willingness to relocate
• Your skills outside of clinical medicine
• Your willingness to travel for work
• Your computer skills
• and so on...

You probably have what it takes to successfully leave clinical medicine, but you may need some guidance to make that transition efficiently. This last week while I was at the Alliance for CME meeting, I met quite a few physicians who had left the world of clinical medicine to work in the CME industry. I enjoyed hearing each of their stories about their career transitions. What's your story?

Why do I blog about non-clinical jobs and careers for physicians?

You may be wondering why I blog about non-clinical jobs and offer career counseling services for physicians. Like many of you, I went to a well-respected college and a US medical school. I studied engineering at MIT and went straight into medical school upon graduating from college. When I was a medical student, I began to meet a variety of physicians who were leaving clinical practice and pursuing other ambitions. After recognizing that clinical medicine was not the “right fit,” I went on to explore my options in different non-clinical health care industries. By that time, I had gotten to know many physicians who had left clinical medicine to pursue jobs in industries such as: pharma, biotech, medical communications, consulting, medical writing, medical devices, market research, etc. Therefore, I was able to find non-clinical job opportunities relatively quickly because I knew what types of options I had and I also knew how to find these jobs. I leveraged my growing social network and landed my first full-time non-clinical job in a consumer health company.

Over the years, I’ve worked for several different companies that have allowed me to blend my clinical background with my passion for education and technology. I’ve had experience working with small companies, medium-sized companies, and large companies. I've been a salaried full-time employee and I've also consulted for several medical start-up companies. I’ve also had the opportunity to create my own company and learn about entrepreneurship. I am currently employed full-time in a medical education company and I spend my nights and weekends blogging and working with physicians who wish to transition into non-clinical careers.

I realize that many physicians do not personally know other physicians who work in non-clinical industries. Therefore, it may be difficult to know what’s feasible. Where do you get started? What kind of income could you make? Are you even qualified for certain jobs if you don’t have additional formal education or training beyond medicine? If you’re struggling with these types of questions, I believe I may be able to help you because I’ve had the opportunity to personally work with many physicians who have transitioned from clinical practice into full-time and part-time non-clinical positions. As they have encountered various questions and barriers along the way, we’ve navigated through all types of obstacles and challenge that you may also face as you look for non-clinical jobs.

Please note that I do not claim to be an expert about all the different non-clinical industries that are available. I routinely refer physicians to “subject matter experts” within specific industry domains. For instance, if you have very specific questions about the medical consulting industry, I would introduce you to a medical consultant who is willing to work with you and answer your questions about careers in that particular industry. I’ve personally had a significant amount of experience working in the following industries: medical communications, medical writing, health education, disease management, blogging, health IT, and medical consulting. I also frequently discuss topics related to social media and technology since I find that it improves your ability to get hired if you demonstrate that you’re familiar with these topics.

I also currently serve on the MIT Institute Career Advisor Network (ICAN) and also on the MIT Educational Council. I frequently speak with prospective MIT students, current MIT students and MIT alumni about career issues in the health care industry and I hope to have the opportunity to help you make a successful transition into the non-clinical sector.

Reflecting back on 2009

2009 really has been an amazing year. So much has happened specifically on this site, including the following:

• Discussions about major health care reform, which then led to...
  
• A significant growth in non-clinical job/career interest among physicians, so...
• We've seen an increased uptake in social media because...
• Physicians want to connect with others who have successfully transitioned into non-clinical careers.

That's the major story of 2009. Many physicians who are eager to make a career transition have connected personally with other physicians who can mentor and guide them through the process. Others have received valuable career counseling services to learn how to make the transition and find the right opportunities.

As the economy continues to go through some major changes, I think we can anticipate that at some point we will see the economy improve and many corporate jobs will begin to re-appear. Will you be ready to take advantage of that opportunity to enter a non-clinical career? What if that recovery occurs in 2010? Will you be prepared with a stunning resume? Or will you have a resume that quickly gets moved into the "discard" pile?

Catching up on phone calls and emails

Due to the holidays, I'm on vacation for the next week. Our company is actually closed, so everyone is on vacation. I'm taking my vacation at home since I have a newborn, but I also plan to use some of this time to catch up on some phone calls and e-mails. I've scheduled several calls with physicians who are eager to get started with an active job search in January. Others are making significant changes to their resumes and learning how to identify the right non-clinical opportunities.

If you've reached out to me and I've been slow to respond, I apologize and I hope you'll contact me again. I've had a number of e-mails go right into my SPAM folder, so it's possible I simply missed your e-mail. I'm currently actively engaged in coaching several physicians through a non-clinical career transition, so I've been quite busy. However, if you're seriously thinking about a career change in 2010 and you'd like to chat about the possibilities, I'd be glad to speak with you as my schedule permits.

Pros and Cons of using a professional resume writer

I've seen many physician resumes and I've noticed many common elements among all these resumes. Here are 3 common elements:

• First, physicians generally tend to list their positions. Who needs to provide a description if your position was: "private practice family physician" for 10 years? People in the medical community automatically understand what that means. As a result, physicians rarely provide descriptive examples that illustrate what they accomplished during their clinical careers.
• Next, physicians often do not know what to emphasize when they are transitioning into a non-clinical career since most physicians lack industry work experience. They may wish to highlight that they are effective at communication, but how to you say that on your CV? "Effective communicator?" How about "Strong communication skills?" These phrases are too vague.
  
• Finally, many physicians are simply not effective when they are writing about their skills, talents, and capabilities that are relevant for specific non-clinical careers. They may be extremely intelligent and eloquent speakers, but their writing skills often need improvement when it comes to their resumes.
  

I've clearly made some gross generalizations here, but I think you get the idea. So, should they work with a professional resume writer?

Here are some of the Pros and Cons of using a professional resume writing service (this is not meant to be exhaustive):

Pros:

• Organization and format. A professional resume writer may help them improve the organization and the format of the resume.
• Effective communication. A professional can help them effectively communicate skills and capabilities in writing.
• Content. A professional can help you focus on relevant content and filter out content that may not be relevant.
• Efficiency. A professional will probably save you time since they are more efficient. If you're too busy to rewrite your CV, then maybe you should pay someone to do it for you.
  

However, here are the Cons:

• Cost. A professional resume writer can be very expensive. On TheLadders.com, you can expect to pay around $700 for professional resume writing services if you enroll in their premium UpLadder services (which runs around $15-30/month). Other professional resume writers may charge $500 to over $1,000 for their services.
  
• Limited experience with physician career changers. A professional may not be experienced working with physicians who are changing careers. They may be great for physicians who are looking for other types of medical jobs, but the minute you switch gears into the non-clinical world, it's a totally different game when you're working with career changers.
• Uncertainty about the return on your investment. The term "professional" can mean different things when you're a resume writer. How will you be able to judge the effectiveness of the professional you hire? After all, they won't be providing any type of guarantee that you'll get a job if you use their services.
  
• A single perspective. A single writer will give you a single perspective and you may end up focusing on the wrong elements if you rely on a single writer.

Resume writing is an art, and I've found that some of the most effective ways of revising a resume is to receive some coaching from HR (human resources) professionals who evaluate resumes on a routine basis. If you don't have the communications skills to rewrite your CV, then you should definitely get some professional help. Otherwise, you may wish to invest your time to get some personalized career coaching so that you can focus on finding the right types of non-clinical job opportunities that best fit your career goals. A mentor could really help you tailor your CV for each non-clinical opportunity that you wish to pursue.

If you've had positive or negative experiences working with a professional resume writer (or writing service), then I'd welcome your comments on this topic.

What if you're overqualified?

Physicians are often overqualified to hold certain positions in the business world. At the same time, physicians are often underqualified for certain non-clinical jobs because they lack experience within certain industries. They often find themselves ironically stuck in the job search process because they're simultaneously overqualified and underqualified.

It's easier to change the problem with being underqualified because you can gain experience and eliminate that barrier over time. However, if you're overqualified, then you may face certain obstacles that you may not be able to overcome. So what can you do?

There are a few creative ways to approach this problem. First, you should revise your CV to avoid problems that may be associated with age discrimination. You need to be truthful in your CV, but you're not always going to be obligated to provide information such as your college graduation year. That information could lead to age discrimination and could hinder your opportunity to find jobs because hiring managers may automatically think that you're overqualified.

Another option is to explore unconventional positions that may never get advertised. Perhaps a company may create a position for you. Perhaps there's a way to leverage your experience with your other skill sets so that you can become a valuable asset to a company. Are you able to communicate your value proposition?

Finally, you should remember that you may appear to be overqualified on paper, but if you can get an interview, you now have the opportunity to tell your story and convince hiring managers why they should hire you even though you may appear to be overqualified. You have to know how to address the concerns they may have about hiring someone who's overqualified (if you're not familiar with those concerns, then stay tuned because I'll write another article on that topic. Or, you may wish to do some research so that you can confidently address those concerns).

I've been in both roles: the one being hired and the one doing the hiring. I know what it's like to encounter questions regarding "overqualification." I've also seen many examples where we've interviewed individuals who appeared to be overqualified on paper. If you're not sure how to handle these types of obstacles, consider working with a career counselor who can mentor you through that process.

What's your dream job?

The other day, I had to do a little bit of painting around the house. Unlike many other people out there, I actually enjoy painting. I find it relaxing. We've hired professional painters in the past. I began wondering: what would my life be like if I were a professional painter?

When I think about a "dream job," I remove money out of the equation. What would be your dream job if money weren't an issue? Would you even choose to work if you didn't have to? How much job satisfaction would you have if you were working (but you really didn't have to work)?

If money weren't an issue, you could set your own schedule. You could choose to work as little (or as much) as you like. I think I could be a painter. I wouldn't work 40 hours each week, but I'd work enough to prevent boredom. I think I would also enjoy life as a carpenter. Ever since I was a child, I enjoyed building things with my hands. Too bad I didn't pursue a career as a model builder. I could be making model ships and airplanes all day.

I would also love to have a job as a teacher, instructor, or tutor. Just today, I saw someone advertising services as a "computer tutor." I've spent a significant amount of time teaching and tutoring. I enjoy that level of interaction and I could see myself doing that part-time.

I would also love to be a professional counselor. Not necessarily a psychotherapist. Rather, I think I would enjoy working as a career counselor, a guidance counselor, etc. I like the feeling that you're helping someone. I suppose this ties in very closely with teaching and the medical profession. Perhaps that's why I ended up in medical school. Perhaps this is why I spend time counseling and coaching physicians about non-clinical career opportunities. Perhaps this is why I blog about non-clinical jobs.

So those are just a few of my examples. How about you? What would be your dream job if money were not an issue?

How do you "break in" when you lack experience?

Almost every non-clinical job description will indicate that you must have some experience in that field. After all, it's extremely rare to find a true "entry level" position in pharma, biotech, consulting, health IT, etc. However, the reality is that everyone has to "break in" from somewhere. Everyone starts by having zero industry experience. So, how do you get started? Do you need to start really low and then slowly climb the corporate ladder? Start with some freelancing assignments? Do some independent consulting?

This is where I have found that personalized career coaching can be extremely beneficial. Why? Because you need guidance on this topic if you fit into that category of someone who lacks significant industry experience. Career counselors and coaches can help you find suitable ways to break into certain industries. You need to know how to create a career map that outlines both short-term and long-term goals. What are feasible expectations? What types of salaries should you expect to receive? How can you transition from one industry to the next?

For instance, you may spend 1-2 years in pharma and realize that you don't want to build a career in pharma. Can you transition easily into health IT? What about medical consulting?

What if you gain 1-2 years as a medical writer? What can you do then? Are you stuck as a medical writer?

What's the best way to enter pharma? Sales rep? MSL? Drug safety?

Once you ask one or two questions, you quickly realize that there are so many additional questions that quickly follow. To find answers to your questions, consult a career counselor/coach or mentor. Discuss these issues with people who have personally gone through these types of transitions and who have helped others with these career decisions. Find a Non-Clinical Physician Mentor

Career counseling for physicians leaving medicine

Here's a Google search phrase that we don't see very frequently: "career counseling for physicians leaving medicine." I wonder how many physicians are thinking about leaving clinical medicine. Is it time for you to leave the bedside?

Google and other major Internet search engines are becoming the dominant source of career information. The phrase "career counseling for physicians leaving medicine" is not one of the top 10 keywords or phrases that drive people to this site. However, it's interesting to see that some people are typing things related to "career counseling" or even "leaving medicine" to find information about potential job and career options.

The search terms that drive the majority of people to this site have not changed over the past 6 months. They consistently remain the following:

1. non clinical physician jobs
2. non clinical jobs for physicians
3. non clinical careers for physicians
4. non-clinical physician jobs
5. non clinical jobs
6. non-clinical careers for physicians
7. nonclinical physician jobs
8. nonclinical physician jobs, california
9. non medical jobs for physicians
10. non clinical jobs for doctors

Notice a pattern? Currently, visits from major search engines represent roughly 40% of the traffic to this website.

Before I wander too far, let me return to the original topic of discussion. If you're a physician and you're looking for some non-clinical career counseling, you've come to the right place. Whether you call it career counseling, coaching, or mentorship, the goal is the same: to transition into a non-clinical career. Since there are so many different career options out there, it's important to find someone who can guide you in the right direction and help you chart your path so that you're not wasting time or losing efficiency. If you're serious about a career transition and you're looking for some personalized guidance, contact me so that I can point you to the right resources.