Non-Medical Jobs and Careers for Physicians

When I think about the phrase "non-clinical jobs," I often think about jobs that involve some element of medical science. Physicians who work as medical writers or health care consultants may not be treating patients, but they are effectively applying their scientific expertise in their work. Physicians who work in medical management or other types of administrative positions need to have a clinical background in order to work effectively. Physicians who work in the biopharma industry may not be treating individual patients, but they are still involved in scientific drug discovery or pharmaceutical marketing.

What about those jobs that are completely non-medical?

I know some physicians who have a real estate business. Others have ventured into the world of finance and they are now wealth management consultants. One former nephrologist is running a website for Apple computer fans. Another physician is selling products on eBay. Some are becoming technology writers or bloggers, but they're not writing about medical technology. Others are starting companies focused on helping moms be better moms. There are a growing number of physician entrepreneurs who are venturing into many non-medical industries.

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.

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?

Should you continue to practice medicine?

One question that seems to come up all the time when I speak with medical students and residents is: Should you practice medicine? 

When I speak with practicing physicians, the question is: Should you continue to practice medicine?

Dr. Zoe Kiren Deol has written a nice feature article on SurgicalProductsMag.com (Surgical Products Magazine) titled, "To Practice Or Not To Practice ... That Is The Question" and you can read it here.

She ends her editorial (blog post) with this line:

What are the possibilities for doctors who decide against a clinical career?  How wonderful and exciting to have the skills that would allow you to live several different lives during your time on earth, rather than staying in the one niche you carved out before you even knew what you were getting yourself into.  When I was in medical school, I never would have thought I would be writing a blog for a surgical products magazine.

Thanks for mentioning NonClinicalJobs.com as a resource for physicians interested in non-clinical careers. The reality is that most medical students don't learn about non-clinical career options so many end up practicing medicine even though they don't enjoy it. They feel "trapped" in their career because they can't imagine themselves doing anything else. Is that you?

Thanks for being a fan on Facebook

We currently have 230 fans on Facebook on our "Non-Clinical Medical Jobs, Careers, and Opportunities for Physicians" fan page. Considering that we only launched this fan page a few months ago, we're doing fairly well. Social networking websites like Facebook can be very instrumental in helping you make some contacts in the non-clinical medical industry.

If you haven't become a fan yet, I hope you'll join the others to show your support of this website. Click here to become a fan on Facebook.

Growing interest in non-clinical career opportunities among physicians

How many physicians do you know who have chosen to leave their clinical practice? There's no doubt that physicians are getting burned out. Many are tired of fighting insurance companies and even more physicians are getting discouraged about reductions in reimbursement. This has caused some physicians to drop Medicare and Medicaid. Others have switched to cash-only or concierge/boutique practice models. Then you have your group of physicians who have simply decided to leave clinical medicine to pursue career options in the world of non-clinical medicine.

The vast majority of physicians are actually not aware of non-clinical career options beyond common examples such as working for a pharmaceutical company, being a consultant for a major consulting firm, or reviewing medical charts. Some physicians think about "administrative medicine," and they don't envision themselves being happy spending 100% of their time with administrative paperwork. For most physicians, the administrative component is the worst part of being a physician.

The reality is that there are a host of non-clinical opportunities for physicians who have a variety of interests beyond clinical medicine. The problem is that we don't learn about these opportunities during medical school. We don't go through non-clinical rotations during our clinical clerkships. Medical students and residents don't get paired with non-clinical mentors who can teach us about career options on the "business" side of health care. They don't learn about jobs in medical writing, market research, health informatics, or venture capital. They also don't learn how to enter the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry. When they start to look at various job posts, they see terms like "2 years of industry experience required." How can they break in if they lack formal industry experience? Where do they get started? Do they need additional training and education? Many physicians seem to have a common misconception that a formal degree in business is required if they wish to be successful in the non-clinical world. Some choose to pursue an executive MBA with hopes that they may venture off into the non-clinical sector someday.

As physicians get burned out they are looking for alternatives. Physicians are hearing a lot of discussion around health care reform, but little discussion about tort reform. As a result, many are feeling discouraged because their voices are not being heard by politicians and decision makers. In the setting of major health care reform, many physicians are anticipating that their workload will increase and their reimbursement will decrease. Should these physicians leave clinical medicine and pursue non-clinical career options? Who will end up providing medical care if physicians leave their clinical practice and choose to work for some type of health care company?

41% of visitors to NonClinicalJobs.com are from Internet search engines

This month, 41% of visitors were from Internet search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Over the past several months, this number has consistently grown and I'm eager to see how this trend will change in 2010. The top keywords that people are typing to find this site are:

• non clinical jobs for physicians
• non clinical physician jobs
• non-clinical careers for physicians
• non-clinical physician jobs
• non clinical careers for physicians 

We're observing a national phenomenon of physicians looking for alternative career options. More and more physicians are becoming interest in non-clinical opportunities so they can leave their clinical practice. 

If you're not already a member, I encourage you to join our social network of Non-Clinical Healthcare Professionals (http://members.nonclinicaljobs.com). We have over 1,100 members and the majority are physicians, but non-physicians are also welcome to join and participate in our discussions about non-clinical job opportunities. 

Search engine keywords for NonClinicalJobs.com

What do you think are the main keywords that lead people to this website? What are people typing into Google to get here? I don't think you be very surprised by this list of keywords:

• non clinical physician jobs
• non clinical jobs for physicians
• non clinical jobs
• medical writing jobs
• non clinical medical jobs
• non clinical careers for physicians
• non-clinical physician jobs
• non clinical jobs for doctors
• public health jobs california
• medical jobs
• non clinical physician careers
• non-clinical jobs for physicians
• leaving the bedside: the search for a non-clinical medical career
• nonclinical physician jobs
• physician salaries
• non clinical medical careers
• non-clinical medical careers
• non-clinical medical jobs
• clinical jobs
• freelance medical writer jobs
• freelance medical writing jobs

Over the last 30 days (month of June), search engine traffic represented roughly 30% of my site traffic. Before that (prior 30 days or the month of May), it represented 21%.

Non-clinical jobs and opportunities on Sermo

Sermo is an online physician community and you can find some non-clinical jobs and opportunities on the "Jobs" tab. You have to be a physician to join, but joining is free and you may have some opportunities to earn some extra cash by participating in brief surveys. What types of non-clinical opportunities will you find? Well, it varies, but here are some that I've seen in the past:

• Medical writing
• Consulting
• Medical journalism
• Telemedicine
• Online consultation
• Medical education
• and more

To join Sermo, click here.

Why Pursue a Non-Clinical Career?

I've met many people over the last several years who have decided to pursue a non-clinical career in medicine. Why do people choose not to practice medicine? I'm writing about these things in my new book (which is in process), but I thought I'd highlight a few things in this blog.

Here are some of the most common reasons why physicians (and other healthcare professionals) choose to pursue various types of non-clinical jobs and opportunities:

• Scheduling flexibility. You'd be surprised to know how many people work from home and maintain very flexible schedules.
• No malpractice headaches. Enough said.
• Family obligations. The world of clinical medicine can put a severe strain on families and relationships. I know - my wife is a physician.
  
• Obstacles with licensure. This is particularly true for foreign medical graduates who are unable to obtain a U.S. license. Also, licensed U.S. healthcare professionals have various reasons why they may face obstacles with their professional licenses.
  
• Pressured into medicine. I know many medical students who were pressured into medical school. They don't enjoy clinical medicine but many of them feel "stuck."
• Burnout. Physicians may experience severe burnout and they may need a break (sometimes a permanent break) from clinical medicine.
• $. It's true, many choose the non-clinical route because there are more lucrative opportunities.
• To expand their creativity. Some people simply want to have a career in music, art, teaching, or something that is totally different from the clinical world. That's their passion, so consider the transition a second career.
• Less stress. For some, a non-clinical career is less stress compared to the clinical setting. For others, it may be more stress. In any case, it's certainly a totally different type of stress.
• Personal development. Many seasoned clinicians may pursue opportunities in healthcare administration so that they can make an impact on a larger scale.
• To improve public health. Instead of making a small difference on an individual level, they recognize the greater potential of making differences on a population health level.
• To escape boredom. Yes, clinical medicine can become very boring and mundane. Maybe you chose the wrong specialty.
  
• To find a better fit. Many physicians find that clinical medicine simply isn't the "right fit" for their personality, skills, family life, etc. It could be a combination of several of the reasons listed above. For them, the transition into the non-clinical world is a logical step towards finding something that is a better fit.
  

My intent is not to create a comprehensive list here, but to open up some discussion about some of the common issues that clinicians face. I've met people from every single category listed here and I've learned something new each time I've interacted with someone from a different background. I'm currently in the process of compiling personal stories so that I can share them on this site (and in my new book).

Women in Medicine Having Kids

Many people wonder how my wife and I balance work and family. My wife is also a physician, but her work schedule is quite different from mine. We are currently fortunate enough to have family close by, so they help with the kids while my wife and I are at work.

The reality is that you will probably need to make some sacrifices during those early years when your children are very young. I know many women physicians who choose to do some non-clinical work from home during those years when their children are young. This gives them the flexibility to still do some work and maintain a meaningful income while their children are babies. They may even keep up with their clinical skills by moonlighting in the ER and/or urgent care clinics during the weekend. Some find time to do a bit of teaching at local medical schools and others may precept one day a week at a teaching hospital. Then, once their kids get older, some women physicians choose to go back into a clinical practice where they can balance work/family according to their needs. Others build a successful career in the non-clinical side of medicine and even maintain their living by even working from home.

Social Networking Tips to Help You Find Non-Clinical Opportunities

If you plan to transition to a non-clinical career, start building your social network now. It's so critical to grow your network so that you can get your foot into doors of potential opportunity. It can be very difficult to go straight from clinical medicine to your "dream non-clinical job" unless you know some really influential people. Many clinicians ease into the transition by finding a job that may act as a stepping stone or a jumping board. After gaining a few years of non-clinical experience and really getting familiar with corporate policies, you may gain the necessary skills to springboard into a much better opportunity.

So how do you "break into" non-clinical opportunities? For many people, it starts through their social network. Do you use Facebook? LinkedIn? Twitter? Plaxo? Ning? Reach out to the people within your professional social network and you may find some incredible opportunities out there. It's so critical to build a strong social network when you're transitioning from the clinical to the non-clinical world of medicine.

Maybe you should start by joining the free social network called "Non-Clinical Healthcare Professionals." There, you can meet others who can provide you with career advice.

A Taste of Chapter 1 from My Book

I'd like to share bits and pieces of my book as I write different sections. I'm currently writing Chapter 5 and I'm using stories to illustrate some examples of non-clinical career options for medical school graduates. Here's a very rough draft segment of Chapter 1:

During medical school, one of my close friends (I’ll call her Sandy) decided that clinical medicine wasn’t right for her. She attended a prestigious undergraduate university, had stunning MCAT scores, and a perfect GPA. During medical school, she took some time off to get involved in research and she published several papers. Her attending thought that she was going to be a superstar physician. However, she didn’t enjoy the patient encounter and she struggled emotionally with the burdens associated with clinical care. She couldn’t sleep at night because she was so concerned about her patients in the ICU. Her clinical rotations were destroying her and she ultimately decided not to pursue residency.

When she told me that she wasn’t going to apply for residency, I was shocked and I didn’t know what she was going to do. In fact, she also didn’t know. Her school counselors tried to convince her to pursue clinical medicine. They made it sound like she would be wasting all her education if she didn’t practice medicine. Since she had some significant student loans, she really didn’t know what to do.

Sandy started doing some research and getting reconnected with her college colleagues. It didn’t take long, and during her fourth year of medical school, she was interviewing at various companies and exploring the possibilities that were out there in the world of non-clinical medicine. She loved to write, so she finally ended up working in a medical education company and worked her way up to be a Vice President of Medical Affairs.

There are many people like Sandy who find themselves in a position where they realize that they don’t want to practice medicine. Sandy didn’t enter medical school with the intent of pursuing a non-clinical career. She also didn’t have an MBA, so she wasn’t the business-minded physician executive.

Most medical schools don’t teach students about non-clinical career options. In fact, most medical schools don’t even teach students about some of the uncommon specialties like Preventive Medicine (and all the subspecialties within it such as Medical Toxicology and Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine). Medical schools also don’t properly equip students about the business side of healthcare. I’m not just talking about practice management. Physicians should be educated about what happens within the medical industry. They should know what happens within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. They should also learn about market research practices and have a clear understanding of the differences between industry-supported marketing versus industry-supported certified medical education (CME). In the past, those two may have been considered synonymous, but that’s changed dramatically since the early 2000’s when the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education) updated its guidelines on certified continuing medical education. These are just a few examples of thing medical students don’t learn in medical school or residency training. As a result, physicians who decide to leave clinical practice end up feeling very lost about their options. I hope you’ll find this book to be helpful as I lay out my personal journey and share with you some of my insights as I’ve researched and written about various types of non-clinical opportunities for physicians.

Lulu is...

Lulu is:

1. A character on General Hospital
2. A Scottish singer
3. An easy way to publish a book
4. An Asian restaurant
   
5. All of the above

My wife enjoys watching General Hospital, so that's probably the only reason why I know there's a character on that show named Lulu.

I'm currently in my 3rd chapter of writing my book. I don't anticipate that it will be anything famous because I'm writing it for a very specific audience: medical students and physicians. So, don't expect to see it displayed in the bookstore. However, maybe you'll be able to recommend it to a friend or a colleague. I hope you'll sign up for my updates or follow me on Twitter. I'll make a big announcement when my book's ready!

Writing a Book

I've started writing a book about my personal journey into the non-clinical world of medicine. Let me give you a tiny preview:

As an undergraduate student at MIT, I thought I was going to be a biomedical engineer. I studied mechanical engineering and got involved in cancer research. I applied to medical school and graduated. That was when I started meeting other MIT colleagues who had decided to pursue non-clinical healthcare careers. In some ways, that's when my journey began because I started asking the question: "What are my options if I graduate from medical school but I don't want to practice medicine?"

Love to Write? Publish a Book

If you love to write, have you considered publishing a book? Now it's easy through a service called Lulu. I've never used it, but I think I'll use Lulu to publish my first book about my journey that brought me into the non-clinical world of healthcare.

Care to Share Your Story?

If you're a healthcare professional who has experience working in some type of non-clinical role, send me an e-mail if you'd like to share your story and have it posted on this site. I think our readers would enjoy hearing the story of your journey. Maybe your story will even get included in the book that I'm writing.

We're Up to 540 Members in Our Community

We currently have 540 people in our free "Non-Clinical Healthcare Professionals" community. If you have an interest in non-clinical opportunities, I invite you to join. It's free to join and it's a great place to network with others who may have similar interests. Build your social network by joining now.

Finding the Right Non-Clinical Opportunity

I had a nice chat yesterday with someone who decided that clinical medicine was not the right fit. This individual is currently looking for various types of opportunities and may have some opportunities within pharma. We chatted for a while and I really hope that he/she gained some insights from our conversation. I emphasized the value of social networking. I don't wish to disclose additional information about this person or get into details about this individual's reasons for leaving clinical medicine. This person did have residency experience, so that's always an advantage when one decides to pursue non-clinical opportunities. I always try to encourage medical students to give residency a chance before completely transitioning out of the clinical world.

Physicians and other healthcare professionals choose not to pursue clinical medicine for a variety of reasons. I'm happy to provide my insights that I've gained over the years through my personal experience and also through meeting individuals who now work in different types of non-clinical settings. If you'd like to correspond with me, I encourage you to join me on Twitter and send me a message via e-mail.

Join the FREE Non-Clinical Social Network

We currently have 487 members on the free social network titled, "Non-Clinical Healthcare Professionals." My hope is that we'll reach over 500 members by the end of this month. There are many new and exciting things that I'm working on to help those of you who may be looking for new job opportunities, supplemental income, and career changes into the non-clinical world. For instance, there are many jobs in Health IT (information technology), but you may not feel like you have the right skills and training. I may be able to help you with that. Join the network and tell others about it.