Alternative Careers with MD

[Vdawg]

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[hawaiiguy]

I know this one guy that has an M.D., never did his residency, and is now working at IBM in the Life Sciences division. He said he never liked his 3rd and 4th year, and like research instead. He's going back to school to take more classes in biology. Anyhow, don't worry, man. Just keep at it, and once it's over, **** it and don't apply for a residency match.

 

[CaptainJack02]

I know this one guy that has an M.D., never did his residency, and is now working at IBM in the Life Sciences division. He said he never liked his 3rd and 4th year, and like research instead. He's going back to school to take more classes in biology. Anyhow, don't worry, man. Just keep at it, and once it's over, **** it and don't apply for a residency match.

i know multiple docs who worked/work for mckinsey. they finished their residencies and worked for a few years as attendings or in private practice. but if you can prove you've got something to offer, and possibly an mba , no reason why consulting shouldn't work out for you. their advice to me was that if i don't enjoy clerkships, work for an mba or do internships at high power places in your summer off or by taking a year off, and use your md as leverage, since you already paid a LOT of money for it. the point is that your md isn't worthless - it can be an incredible launching pad for a lot of things.

also consider working for an ngo in another country in your time off, or doing work at cdc or other public health places. maybe write to see if that's your niche?

 

[Vdawg]

what is an ngo in another country? I really dont have much interest in basic research - maybe some exciting clinical research, but research in general really bores me.

Also, I swear I am not in it for the money, but by the time I get out of med school, I will have 200+ debt. Do you get paid a lot with just an MD working for Mckinsey etc? I am very interested in pursuing an MBA etc in the future but I dont see doing school for a while unless I can get my learning difficulities corrected. I am getting tested and was told there is a high possibility I have dyslexia (believe it or not) you can only imagine how much hell I have been through... I was always told that I just need to work harder... well its good to know that finally it is becoming clearer to me that I was working as hard as possible and that the barriers were something else. I look back on life and become depressed thinking about it - for instance, missing out on doing a lot more stuff in the "spare" time I should have had. Thank you guys for the advice so far and if anyone thinks of anything else I could look into etc, please post it here or PM me. I think I would also like to do something abroad real bad - but a lot of problems come to mind like $$$.

i know multiple docs who worked/work for mckinsey. they finished their residencies and worked for a few years as attendings or in private practice. but if you can prove you've got something to offer, and possibly an mba , no reason why consulting shouldn't work out for you. their advice to me was that if i don't enjoy clerkships, work for an mba or do internships at high power places in your summer off or by taking a year off, and use your md as leverage, since you already paid a LOT of money for it. the point is that your md isn't worthless - it can be an incredible launching pad for a lot of things.

also consider working for an ngo in another country in your time off, or doing work at cdc or other public health places. maybe write to see if that's your niche?

 

[PublicHealth]

Anyone see ER last night? The Indian girl (forgot her name) turned down a dermatology residency at U of Michigan, couldn't get hired at Starbucks because she didn't have "barista experience," and ended up working at a convenience store.

 

[CaptainJack02]

Anyone see ER last night? The Indian girl (forgot her name) turned down a dermatology residency at U of Michigan, couldn't get hired at Starbucks because she didn't have "barista experience," and ended up working at a convenience store.

yeah her name is parminder nagra or something. she turned down a residency at u mich?...for what reason??? i stopped watching that show after the ridiculous helicopter nonsense. plus i don't watch any tv at all anymore

to the op, ngo is a non governmental organization. something like red cross but most likely on a smaller scale. you can contact ngo's and ask if they'd like help from a med student. they might pay you to do some things that you are already good at doing.

mckinsey = $$$$. end of story. if you get assigned to consulting another nation on improving its healthcare system or something like that, you'd also get lots of travel time! the guys i know happen to work on more technical things, consulting with biomed's etc. well into the 6 figs, and the more senior you get, the more bling bling you make. i don't think it's as satisfying emotionally and morally as medicine but it's got about the same intensity. so depends on what you want...plus your people/ass kissing/survival skills get tested at a consulting company a hell of a lot more than as a physician.

oh and you can't really get an mba unless you get some work exp up your sleeves so that's outta the question.

and sorry to hear about your situation. hope things work out for you.

 

[ny skindoc]

Its not unusual to be thinking twice about doing a residency when one to thinks of the demands of time and energy it requires.There are career options with an MD and no residency but opportunities are limited.An MBA related field will likewise have demands and is far from stress free.You might consider a residency in public health,they are around 2 years or so long ,with regular hours.It might be in few years you will be ready for a residency perhaps in a less intense psych or rehab program.Some of these residencies allow plenty of time for outside pursuits.

 

[azzarah]

Why do you think you would not match into a residency? Why have you given up even before the battle has started? I guess I don't understand all the circumstances surrounding your situation....Public health, public policy, research, teaching, business....

I will be needing to take a year off after completing second year due to a bunch of reasons. My question is basically this - I have a lot of issues I need to work on that I really didnt know about before starting medical school (eg. moderate to severe anxiety, a possible learning disability) on the flip side, I have amazing people skills (empathy, relating etc). What are other things I can do with an MD degree if I somehow make it out alive? I am still determined to get the MD but I really dont know if it will be possible for me to go on to a residency program (atleast after medical school - I am open to the idea of working for a while doing something and possibly reapplying for a residency program but I dont know if they would accept people that have been out of the clinical setting for a long period of time). I thought about consulting or working for pharmaceuticals but I dont know what else is out there. Please don't insult me, I understand that several people may be upset that I took a spot that someone else could have used "better" but I honestly was convinced that nothing was wrong before things exploded for me in medical school. I am currently even not sure if my school will allow me to come back if I take off after this year. I may have to do my 3rd/4th year abroad somewhere. Please can anyone with advice or personal experience give me some direction. I am so unmotivated, its like all the dreams I had have been shattered and I dont have much to look forward in life now. And on top of that, I have 100K debt and that doesnt include other possible costs for the last 2 years.