5 reasons to maintain a part-time clinical practice after you get a non-clinical job

These days, many physicians are eager to leave clinical practice for a variety of reasons. Some may find a great non-clinical job that pays well and doesn't demand too much of their time and they will jump on the opportunity to leave clinical medicine. There are a few critical questions to work through before you make a complete exit from clinical medicine:

• Should you maintain a part-time clinical practice if you leave the bedside?
• Should you maintain an active medical license, even if you don't intend to practice medicine?

Here are 3 reasons why you should maintain a part-time clinical practice, even after you land a non-clinical job:

1. Job insecurity. Let's face it: these days, job security simply doesn't exist in the corporate or business world. You may have a great job today, but your position may get eliminated or your company may go out of business.
2. Boredom. If you left clinical medicine because you were getting bored, you're at risk of getting bored in the non-clinical world as well. It may help you avoid boredom if you maintain a part-time clinical practice.
3. Barriers to re-entry back to clinical medicine. Someday, if you choose to re-enter clinical medicine, you're likely going to face a number of obstacles and hurdles to return to the bedside. If you maintain a part-time clinical practice, then re-entry becomes much easier.
4. To help during disasters. Natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes often call for medical assistance. You may want to volunteer your clinical skills during these situations.
5. To prepare for retirement. Do you have a plan for retirement? You may find it quite fulfilling to work or volunteer in a clinical capacity once you've reached retirement mode. Plus, you may find a nice way to earn some extra income. Part-time clinical jobs will be easier to find compared to non-clinical jobs if you're an older adult (dare I say "geriatric?")

So, there you have it. I can think of several more reasons to maintain a part-time clinical practice, but I'll wait until another day.

SEAK: Non-Clinical Careers for Physicians 2011

The 2011 SEAK Non-Clinical Careers Conference information will be in Chicago on September 24-25, 2011.

SEAK (Skills, Education, Achievement, Knowledge) was founded in 1980 by attorney Steven Babitsky, who as a practicing attorney recognized the need for excellence in continuing education. SEAK is the world's leading provider of Expert Witness training and texts and sponsors the nation's longest running and largest Workers Compensation and Occupational Medicine conference. SEAK sponsors writing seminars for physicians and lawyers and publishes professional directories for Expert Witnesses and IME Doctors. SEAK is also the leading provider of Non-Clinical Career training for physicians.

At this year's conference, there will be 25 speakers, 11 mentors (for free 1-1 assistance), as well as employers and recruiters looking to hire physicians on a part time or full time basis.

Learn more about the SEAK Non-Clinical Careers Conference here.

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.

Jobs for doctors without residency

I continue to encounter countless physicians who are looking for jobs even though they have not completed a residency here in the United States. Some are US medical school grads who wish to drop out of residency. Others are foreign-trained physicians who have faced difficulty finding a residency position here in the United States.

I wrote an article back in 2008 titled, "Jobs for Physicians with No Residency Experience." This article continues to draw traffic from search engine users who are searching for "jobs for doctors without residency."

If you're a doctor looking for a non-clinical job, I encourage you to visit the NonClinicalJobs Job Board to find a variety of job opportunities for physicians who don't have residency experience. You can find a number of different employment opportunities in small and large companies where you won't need an active medical license, board certification, or post-graduate training.

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.

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.

Moms who pursue non-clinical careers to balance work and life

My wife is a family physician who works roughly 25 hours each week. She gets a day off each week and she gets to spend a significant amount of time at home during her half-days. She's never in the hospital since her practice is 100% outpatient. When she's on call, she practically never gets called after 10 pm. Now, how many physicians have that type of schedule?

Many moms who are also full-time physicians find themselves frustrated by their desire to spend more time at home. Depending on your medical or surgical specialty, you may have a hard time finding part-time opportunities. Those in family medicine, pediatrics, and internal medicine may find some part-time employment jobs. Those in emergency medicine can simply work shifts. But for many other women physicians, they may be limited to full-time clinical employment. So, does it make sense to pursue a non-clinical career to have a better work/life balance? For some, the answer may be "yes."

Which Non-Clinical Career if Right For Me?

Author: Mehul Sheth, DO FAAP

For my first post I thought long and deep about the path that led me to my non-clinical career and I fell back into what I told all my students when I orientated them as they began a pediatric rotation with me-that success in medicine (or outside of medicine) is only partially taught in any formal way in school. This is true for almost every field, but particularly for medicine. I estimate that only about 60% of what got me where I am (an exceedingly rewarding job, a family that I love spending time with and time to actually do just that) came from formal teaching. The other 40%? Well that’s what I hope to go through in my blog.

Once I knew that I wanted a non-clinical career, the harder question emerged-which non-clinical career path to choose? Dr. Kim has eloquently expounded on the idea that there’s no one “non-clinical” job, but rather an assortment of opportunities that take advantage of your medical expertise, whether you are a graduating medical student, recent board eligible residency graduate, young board certified attending, or even the veteran of years of clinical practice. Choosing the right non-clinical career is very similar to choosing the right residency. Like residency, a non-clinical job is not a destination, but rather a pathway into a different knowledge base. Like residency, the hours can be long, in many cases 60-70+ hours. Like residency, the pay for the first few years can be quite modest. However, unlike residency, you haven’t spent the last 4 years experiencing and evaluating the different options.

40% of physicians to leave clinical medicine?

Here's are a few snippets from a recent Healthcare Finance News story:

The Physicians Foundation, based in Boston, released the results of a survey conducted by Merritt Hawkins, a national physician search and consulting firm, which indicates growing dissatisfaction among doctors as they struggled with less time for patient care and increased time dealing with non-clinical paperwork, difficulty receiving reimbursement and burdensome government regulations.

According to the survey, healthcare reform could intensify existing problems for doctors and worsen the shortage of primary care doctors, making it more difficult for patients to access quality care.

• 40 percent of physicians said they would drop out of patient care in the next one to three years, either by retiring, seeking a non-clinical job within healthcare or seeking a job out of healthcare.

What will happen to the health care system if 40% of physicians leave clinical medicine to pursue non-clinical opportunities? I think that many physicians are hoping that the health care system will change, but the current reform law has too many gaps and holes. I suppose that's what can happen if we rush through some major changes and try to fix a huge burden like the health care crisis.

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.

My article in the Nov/Dec 2010 Physician Executive Journal (Vol. 36 Issue 6)

The Physician Executive Journal (PEJ) is the Journal of Medical Management and the official publication of the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE). In the 2010 Nov/Dec issue (Vol. 36 Issue 6) of the Physician Executive Journal, you'll find my article titled, "Non-Clinical Career Opportunities for Physician Executives." (You have to be a member of ACPE to access the article)

It starts on page 82 and I spend some time reviewing a number of different non-clinical physician executive opportunities in different industries such as:

• Consulting
• Finance
• Medical communications
• Technology
• Biopharma and medical devices
• Medicolega
• Public health
• Research
• Entrepreneurship

If you're not a member of the American College of Physician Executives, you're missing a tremendous opportunity to network with physician executives. You can join the ACPE by visiting: http://www.acpe.org/

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.

Are you ready to make a career change in 2011?

Many of you may be thinking about a career change. Are you ready to make the transition in 2011? The new year is literally right around the corner and it may be a perfect time for you to explore a part-time or full-time non-clinical career.

As the new year approaches, I've been thinking about ways to improve my work/life balance. Like many of you, I have a full-time job and a family. I also blog and that can often feel like an ongoing moonlighting gig.

Don't forget about our key services:

• Resume writing services
• Career coaching

I hope you'll find the information you're looking for here on NonClinicalJobs.com. I've added an enhanced search box on the upper right section of the page. Use the search box to find something specific.

There's still time to register for the Medical Fusion conference

You still have time to register for the upcoming Medical Fusion Conference that will be this November 5-7, 2010 at the Wynn Las Vegas. The event website is www.MedFusionConf.org.

The Medical Fusion Conference brings together physician leaders who have developed unique niche areas to further their careers. Concierge medicine, telemedicine, entrepreneurship, writing & publishing, medical tourism, living & working abroad, developing start-up companies, financial management, alternate income streams, clinical practice innovation, and internet marketing are some of the topics covered at the Medical Fusion Conference.

Faculty who are true experts in their fields are being brought in to discuss their careers and developing trends in medicine. Each day is designed to maximize learning and face time with faculty members including the scheduling of two "meet the faculty" sessions that allow sit down time between participants and the Medical Fusion speakers.

Register here: www.MedFusionConf.org.

I'm burned out... Should I quit residency?

I get questions like this all the time: "I'm burned out. Should I quit residency?"

Here's how I typically respond:I hear stories like this all the time. Burnout is very common during residency. It's important to explore all your options because it will be extremely difficult to return to clinical medicine in the future.

I find that many residents really don't have the proper perspective on post-residency life. There are so many different practice models that you'll never see during medical school or residency. You may also end up treating a patient population that is vastly different from the types of patients you've seen. Many physicians are able to find rewarding, satisfying jobs after they complete residency.

Are you absolutely certain that you don't want to practice medicine? Or, are you simply burning out, looking for a solution to your current situation? Perhaps you're in the wrong specialty. Maybe you'd be happy if you worked in preventive medicine.

If you're absolutely certain that you wish to exit residency to pursue a non-clinical career, then I could work with you to guide you along the way. Even if you lack business experience, the transition is possible. You don't need an MBA or an MPH to find a non-clinical job. In fact, I've personally helped many physicians make this transition successfully, so contact me if you're interested in speaking with me further.

SEAK: Non-Clinical Careers for Physicians 2010

You may have received a brochure in the mail for a conference titled, "SEAK: Non-Clinical Careers for Physicians 2010."

This conference occurs every year and I know a number of presenters. I also know quite a few physicians who have attended this meeting. I was hoping to attend this year, but I won't be attending. 

If you'd like to learn more about non-clinical career opportunities and network with physician executives who are working in various industries, you may want to attend. Be sure to leverage every opportunity you get to actively network with people and to ask as many questions as you can.

Here's the information about the conference:

Non-Clinical Careers for Physicians 2010
Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel & Conference Center
Chicago, IL
September 25-26, 2010

You can learn more here.

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.

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.

Resources for Disabled, Impaired or Reentering Physicians

There's a great list of online resources for Disabled, Impaired or Reentering Physicians on the ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) website. Although the information is on the ACOG website, most of the links are relevant for physicians and others who are not OB/GYNs.

The list contains 3 sections:

1. Disability Organizations
2. Reentry or Returning to Practice Resources
3. Organizations Offering Non-clinical Career Opportunities

I hope they'll include NonClinicalJobs.com and the Society of Physicians with Non-Clinical Careers (SPNCC) under category #3.

I also hope they'll include the Society of Disabled Physicians under category #1.

To view the resource list on the ACOG website, click here.