Besides clinical practice, what are some other career options for people with an MD?

[ellia]

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While I assume the majority of medical school graduates go into private practice, I am curious what other options people often consider?

Public health/public policy, academic medicine, or corporate (i.e., medical director of a health insurance or biotech company) seem to be popular alternatives.

Anyone have any insight either from personal or anecdotal experience?

 

[eaglebaseball4]

While I assume the majority of medical school graduates go into private practice, I am curious what other options people often consider?

Public health/public policy, academic medicine, or corporate (i.e., medical director of a health insurance or biotech company) seem to be popular alternatives.

Anyone have any insight either from personal or anecdotal experience?

I live in a small rural town (population around 10,000), and my PCP is actually the city mayor also. So politics is def an option. Upon retirement from medicine, he is considering running in state politics. n=1 but just wanted to share my experience.

 

[stubblesmcgee]

Govt agencies hire a lot of MDs for research.

 

[ellia]

Of the many docs I know:
-One nontrad works for FDA
-One got involved in ACGME while in residency and eventually rose to chair of board of trustees of AMA
-many who work full time for professional associations/academies.
-One of the most successful I know is a former boss who went into investment banking/consulting as a healthcare analyst. I dont know how many hundreds of millions he is worth but filthy rich would be apt.

What exactly do healthcare consultants do? Is it like management strategy for hospitals, medical device companies, pharamaceutical companies, health systems, etc.?

 

[ellia]

As official advisors to medical students, I was wondering if you would be willing to weigh in on this?

@Med Ed @gyngyn @LizzyM @Goro @Catalystik @Doctor-S

 

[gyngyn]

Alternative Careers - Shape Your Career - Careers In Medicine

 

[LizzyM]

What exactly do healthcare consultants do? Is it like management strategy for hospitals, medical device companies, pharamaceutical companies, health systems, etc.?

Yes.

 

[Med Ed]

As official advisors to medical students, I was wondering if you would be willing to weigh in on this?

@Med Ed @gyngyn @LizzyM @Goro @Catalystik @Doctor-S

I won't reiterate any of the myriad paths there are for MD's outside of clinical practice, but I will say that it's much easier to develop a non-clinical career if you have, at minimum, a medical license. This requires at least one year of post-graduate training. It's even better if you have completed a residency and are board eligible/board certified.

 

[Goro]

While I assume the majority of medical school graduates go into private practice, I am curious what other options people often consider?

Public health/public policy, academic medicine, or corporate (i.e., medical director of a health insurance or biotech company) seem to be popular alternatives.

Anyone have any insight either from personal or anecdotal experience?

Teaching.

 

[Doctor-S]

While I assume the majority of medical school graduates go into private practice, I am curious what other options people often consider?

Public health/public policy, academic medicine, or corporate (i.e., medical director of a health insurance or biotech company) seem to be popular alternatives.

Anyone have any insight either from personal or anecdotal experience?

Medical-legal consulting, government agencies, teaching, writing.

 

[nimbus]

Teaching.

I know a dual colorectal surgeon couple. The wife decided teaching high school science is more conducive to her mom duties.

I also know an anesthesiologist who “retired” in his 50s to teach middle school science and do volunteer work.

 

[Catalystik]

What exactly do healthcare consultants do? Is it like management strategy for hospitals, medical device companies, pharamaceutical companies, health systems, etc.?

Also police consulting, expert witness for malpractice cases.

I know a dual colorectal surgeon couple. The wife decided teaching high school science is more conducive to her mom duties.

I also know an anesthesiologist who “retired” in his 50s to teach middle school science and do volunteer work.

I know an ENT who retired in his mid-forties to become a professional bridge player.

 

[TeddyBears]

Alternative Careers - Shape Your Career - Careers In Medicine

Thanks for the link 🙂

 

[ellia]

Yes.

Sounds like one is likely to run into moral dilemmas often when the goal is to maximize profit and human lives are potentially at stake...

 

[ellia]

Alternative Careers - Shape Your Career - Careers In Medicine

Thank you for this link!