10 Physicians explain why they LOVE their Non-Clinical Jobs!
By: Sylvie Stacy, MD, MPH
I asked 10 physicians what they love about their non-clinical jobs, and here’s what they said!
During our medical training, we get ample exposure to various healthcare settings, patient types, and disease states. These varied experiences help us determine our career paths as physicians.
But our exposure to the many non-clinical career options for doctors is extremely limited. As a result, physicians interested in pursuing a nonclinical job often have a sense of uncertainty about how to begin exploring their options. They often feel hesitant to leave their patient care roles due to lacking confidence in whether a nonclinical position will be a good fit for them.
Non-clinical careers cover a broad spectrum of duties, focus areas, work settings, and team structure. They all use a doctor’s medical expertise, experience, and skill set in slightly different ways. A good way to address this apprehension is to familiarize yourself with the role and responsibilities of the nonclinical job types that you think might interest you.
Hearing first-hand accounts from physicians with non-clinical careers is a great way to go about this.
The statements below are from physicians with 10 different non-clinical clinical jobs, spanning an array of industries and organization types. Each one focuses on why they enjoy their work in a non-clinical role.
Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) for a hospital system
“I’ve been interested in the role technology plays in health care since early in my practice. This was my initial attraction to informatics. I enjoy solving challenging problems and finding solutions that help improve the quality and safety of patient care.
I spend much of my time developing methods that make it easier for clinicians to leverage technology, including applications that support the advancement of telemedicine, precision medicine, and other newer areas in medicine.”
Managed Care Medical Director for a health insurance company
“My coworkers, peers, and supervisor are certainly one of the aspects I enjoy about my job. They are team-oriented, dynamic, intelligent, and motivated.
We have a strong and palpable culture here. From the front-line staff to the leadership, it is evident that the member’s health and care is our primary concern. The actions of my coworkers and the leadership reflect this value. “
Vice President of a health analytics company
“Medical practice was never a fit for me because I was always far more intrigued with solving the broader problems inherent in US health care than I was with solving the problems of an individual patient. By working to bring advanced analytics approaches into health care, I am working to broadly improve its quality and efficiency. This is a driving source of motivation for me.”
Engagement Manager at a business consulting firm
“My company affords the opportunity to help some of the best and largest organizations in the world across all sectors and to solve some of their most difficult problems. I find this intellectually exciting and personally fulfilling because of the positive impact we can create.
Being a physician allows me to bring a unique perspective to my teams and to clients. It provides me with an understanding of disease and therapy, and gives me a pragmatic view of the health care ecosystem.”
Medical Writer for a medical education company
“During fellowship, I realized the aspect I enjoyed most about being a physician was the educational opportunity. I found it rewarding when I was able to empower a parent or medical trainee.
Although I liked clinical work, treating patients provided me a unique perspective on the importance of quality time with loved ones. Work-life balance became a priority for me. I like that I can continue teaching without having the super busy lifestyle of a full-time clinician.”
Medical Officer with the US Food and Drug Administration
“I enjoy learning about novel treatments and mechanisms of action and having an important role in the overall drug development process. I enjoy working in teams of intelligent professionals across many disciplines, including statistics, toxicology, clinical pharmacology, and chemistry, as I am constantly learning new things.
It is very fulfilling to contribute to the field by making regulatory decisions that impact the development, availability, and labeling of new treatments to ensure they are safe and effective for patients.”
Drug Safety Physician for a pharmaceutical company
“The foundation of what I do is based on an understanding of medicine. A good understanding of the pathophysiology and epidemiology of the underlying disease as well as the safety profile of current therapies is required.
It is like detective work. I never know what to make of a report until I dig into the data and understand it. Sometimes unexpected drug safety associations emerge. This means that each day is different.”
Health Services Researcher at a university
“I love the creative processes of my work and variations in foci from one project to another. I enjoy tackling major problems in the health care system and developing solutions which are evidence-based and supported by data and science.”
Chief Health Officer of a nonprofit
“I enjoy working in the strategic realm of medicine. While I do miss seeing patients on a regular basis, working to heal vulnerable populations through strong programs is very valuable.
From my view, not-for-profit business is just as exciting and rewarding as a for-profit business. There is great opportunity to be innovative and entrepreneurial as well.”
Medical Unit Chief of Staff for a popular TV show
“My personal mission in life is to make the world a healthier place. The media has the power to impact millions of lives at a time to both influence individual behavior as well as our culture.
I am essentially the medical director for the show. My team helps shape the health content of what appears on both the show as well as web and social. Work to ensure that it is both helpful to our audience and accurate.”
The insight above from physicians with varied careers demonstrates that there is a lot you may enjoy about a job outside of direct patient care. If any of these resonated with you, consider learning more about that job as you explore your career options.
Sylvie Stacy, MD, MPH is a preventive medicine physician and blogger at Look for Zebras – a site dedicated to helping physicians cultivate fulfilling careers. She recently published the book 50 Nonclinical Careers for Physicians.
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That was interesting to read! Thanks for sharing!