I also came from an IP law background, but I decided not to go to law school. So far, I've seen it as an added bonus. Obviously, they always ask why I didn't continue with it if I liked it so much. And I just answer honestly - the career is intellectually challenging, but the science is just not the same and when you bill so many hours doing doc review or preparing briefs, I'd rather be spending those hours treating and caring for patients. When I worked with patent apps., I wanted to be the one doing the research and innovating.
In the end, it definitely helps if you want to be involved in policy, health care law or malpractice?.
After I left, though, I've become more involved with research. Because I've had medically-related experiences throughout college, I felt that I didn't need to volunteer at a hospital or shadow a physician. If you don't have these experiences, they will most likely question your motivation for medicine at interviews. They ask about direct interaction with patients.
