Medical Director / Pharmaceuticals

[desimd77]

I just wanted to get a sense from people in regards to the position of "medical director" at pharmaceutical companies. I have completed 2 years of residency and several years of research and i'm looking to bail. In considering alternative careers, i've been doing a lot of research in careers in industry, specifically Pharamceutial companies. There are a lot of pharma companies trying to hire physicians for "Medical Science Liasons" but it involves a lot of travel and not much room to move up.

I recently came across a Medical Director position, but i'm not to sure what the role/salary would be. If anyone can offer some knowledge, i would appreciate it.

thanks

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[Nick Name]

I just wanted to get a sense from people in regards to the position of "medical director" at pharmaceutical companies. I have completed 2 years of residency and several years of research and i'm looking to bail. In considering alternative careers, i've been doing a lot of research in careers in industry, specifically Pharamceutial companies. There are a lot of pharma companies trying to hire physicians for "Medical Science Liasons" but it involves a lot of travel and not much room to move up.

I recently came across a Medical Director position, but i'm not to sure what the role/salary would be. If anyone can offer some knowledge, i would appreciate it.

thanks

One of the medical schools in Wisconsin has a mostly online course that trains MD's to be medical director of CLIA diagnostic labs, in a supervisory role. I think you have to do 100 hours in a CLIA lab, but I believe you have to be a licensed MD.

 

[GreenDR]

Hello there. I am in a similar position. I discovered that clinical practice was just not for me, (around the beginning of my intern year), and have been looking into MSL work and medical director work, as well. It is definitely not a fact that medical directorships require licensure. And you could already be licensed, for all we know. In some states you only have to complete a year of residency to get your license. Would love to compare notes sometime about career-transitions. Would reeally apreciate the moral support, You?

 

[dragonfly99]

desimd
If you've done 2 years of residency, I would highly suggest you finish, particulary if you are in a 3 or 4 year residency program. If you're in something like surgery that's 5-7, that might be different...
I think with a completed residency, you'll have more job options, particularly if you end up not wanting to stay working for PhRMA for life. The FDA, for example, usually likes to hire only folks who have finished residency.
If you finish a residency and take/pass your boards, you'll have a lot more options.

 

[desimd77]

Hello there. I am in a similar position. I discovered that clinical practice was just not for me, (around the beginning of my intern year), and have been looking into MSL work and medical director work, as well. It is definitely not a fact that medical directorships require licensure. And you could already be licensed, for all we know. In some states you only have to complete a year of residency to get your license. Would love to compare notes sometime about career-transitions. Would reeally apreciate the moral support, You?

I actually do have a license in two states since I've completed 2 years of residency. I've actually completed 2 years of gen surg, and 3 years of a surg onc research fellowship. During my time in the lab, I've come to the realize that i don't care to be in the OR. I've lost that excitement involved with performing surgery, and holding the scalpel. To be honest, you give up a lot of your life to become a surgeon, not only in training, but also in practice. The more practicing surgeons i work with, the further I'm pushed away from the field of surgery.

A lot of people have recommended looking into other field of medicine, but i don't feel passionate about any of them. The concept of IM, Rads, or Path for the rest of my life, sounds like torture.

After a lot of self evaluation, i feel that working at a pharma company may give me a stable job this is just that, a job. I will have a normal work environment with the opportunity to grow and achieve the same if not better income than a standard physician.

If anyone else out there feels the same....let me know.....all my family members/friends think I'm crazy and I'm going regret my decision......but i don't know.....

 

[tbo]

I used to work for a top 5 big pharma. MDs are in short supply in the pharmaceutical industry, but from what I saw 'on the ground' was that the recruitment of MDs was extremely slow. I don't quite understand why. It could be that the job remains substantially demanding, but in an entirely different way. To screen the MDs who are tired of the clinic and yet display the ethic that is necessary for corporate life might be one of the challenges. Nevertheless, there are likely quite a few opportunities beyond what you discuss. Clinical research/running clinical trials is an area where MDs are certainly needed and I believe a number of companies are ok with Board Eligible - I cannot say that for sure. As far as salaries go, I cannot say for sure, but none of the MDs I knew were hurting for money, and could very well have been doing better than in the clinic.

Other areas depending on your business sense are Marketing and Corporate executives. Consulting and the financial world are also non-clinical opportunities.