possible non-practicing futures with an M.D.

[fizzbot]

Does anyone know how plausible it is to get an M.D. and then go on to do something like work for a pharma company, biotech, or something else in a business world? Or work in some other form using an M.D.'s knowledge but not perhaps practicing privately like most M.D.s do? Just wondering...

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[GujuMD]

Does anyone know how plausible it is to get an M.D. and then go on to do something like work for a pharma company, biotech, or something else in a business world? Or work in some other form using an M.D.'s knowledge but not perhaps practicing privately like most M.D.s do? Just wondering...

maybe if you get a dual degree- MD/MBA or PhD or JD or MPH

 

[luhando]

maybe if you get a dual degree- MD/MBA or PhD or JD or MPH

while a dual degree does get you to that end...its not completely necessary. with the right mindset you can do pretty much anything if you have an md.

 

[star22]

Don't pharmacy companies do clinical trials on new products? They would probably need MDs for that.

 

[CTSballer11]

Take a look at the MBA/MD thread, there is a post about this topic. Personally, I think that an MBA from a good business school coupled with an MD would make you a very valuable asset for a biotech or pharm company.

 

[kirexhana]

Don't pharmacy companies do clinical trials on new products? They would probably need MDs for that.

absolutely, i met one on plane ride to 2nd look at duke. the only time he works with patients are for clinical trials.

 

[sneaker7]

for a lot of the major strategy consulting firms, you can jump in right after med school and work on healthcare projects

 

[Law2Doc]

Does anyone know how plausible it is to get an M.D. and then go on to do something like work for a pharma company, biotech, or something else in a business world? Or work in some other form using an M.D.'s knowledge but not perhaps practicing privately like most M.D.s do? Just wondering...

If you already know for sure that you want to work in the business world, I wouldn't bother with the MD. You can get further in 4 years (plus whatever time you would attribute to residency?) in almost any industry starting at an entry level college degree job, and then later going off for your MBA, than you can trying to open doors with an unrelated professional degree. Sure, there are a lot of MD/MBA programs out there these days, but the career path with that combo is a bit fuzzy. They usually pay off best if the person has a longterm game plan. So yes, there are folks with MDs who have transitioned to pharmaceutical companies and to health consulting but neither of these tracks really necessitate an MD.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

I know some that are consultants for an electronic medical record company.

 

[DCDAWG]

I know some that are consultants for an electronic medical record company.

In graduate school, I worked at a biodefense firm headed by an MD- he somehow ended up there after completing a residency in pediatrics.
He always said that having an MD got him respect he wouldnt have gotten with a PHD or another degree.

 

[linuxizer]

for a lot of the major strategy consulting firms, you can jump in right after med school and work on healthcare projects

Yup: in the sense that consulting firms (and the business world in general) tend not to be terribly degree-bound. It's not like you'll ever "need" an MBA.
Nope: in the sense that most of the consulting firms you'd want to work for aren't going to hire you if you have no business sense. "Jumping in" isn't nearly as easy as it sounds. That said, it's not impossible either, and cases are almost ridiculously simple to master once you do a few. Don't let any friendly b-school students tell you any differently. Just don't expect to waltz into an interview at BCG or McKinsey and not get raped.

Ari

 

[Touchdown]

If you dont want to be a doctor, why are you applying for an MD? If you want to do reaserch get a PhD, or business then get an MBA. Dont take a spot from an applicant that truely wants to be a doctor, not just for his sake but for his future patients too. In some research jobs, I realize getting an MD is a benifit and if it is by all means get it but I honestly cant think of a reason you need an MD to go into business, get a masters in science business or something just dont take an MD spot, please.

 

[bbas]

If you dont want to be a doctor, why are you applying for an MD? If you want to do reaserch get a PhD, or business then get an MBA. Dont take a spot from an applicant that truely wants to be a doctor, not just for his sake but for his future patients too. In some research jobs, I realize getting an MD is a benifit and if it is by all means get it but I honestly cant think of a reason you need an MD to go into business, get a masters in science business or something just dont take an MD spot, please.

Many hospital administrators today seem to have the MD/MBA combination, just as many public health officials have MD's. The point is that there are other reasons/opportunities to get an MD besides being a practicing physician. These jobs are no less important than being a clinical physician, so I don't understand why you feel they are "wasting" an MD spot.

 

[medrepmn]

I can tell you from experience that virtually all manufacturers in the medical industry will find a role for anyone with the M.D. degree. Marketing would be ideal, as someone with the degree would be more qualified to review current research and recommend strategies for the company. As already mentioned, freelance consulting work is a slam-dunk. Also, on the sales side, someone with the title of "Doctor" would have a much easier time getting through to the physicians, pharmacists, hospital execs, or whatever the target market may be. That is invaluable to sales departments.

Oh, and on the research angle, investment companies love to have technical expertise on their industry research teams. It comes down to this; who is better to decide whether the firm should invest in a biotech start-up, the M.D., or the M.B.A.?

 

[Shredder]

What a mature thread, I'm shocked that the token why do you want to be a doctor then business hasn't yet come up. But yeah do check the MD/MBA forum and run some searches on it, there are threads and some are pretty informative

Sigh nm upon closer inspection of the thread I see that said token post has in fact appeared. And here I was for once gaining some respect for premeds. Touchdown buddy, it's a competitive process--ppl can have whatever motives they want as long as they make the cut.

 

[Mutt]

I work with an MD at a biopharmaceutial company that never went to clinical practice. He directs the clinical trials and said that after he got done with med school it dawned on him that he really did not want to deal with sick people on an individual basis day-in and day-out.

His path was this: NCI internship in clinical trials right out of med school, then boom - involved with clinical trials at a few different companies, with lots of success. The thing with being involved with clinical trials is that they tend to take several years to complete or even get to. Therefore, most MDs that are involved with them have spent their careers working on maybe 3-5 different drugs/compounds.

 

[thefafo]

I met a guy who wanted to go to med school, get his md, and practice for maybe 20 years, and then go into politics. He wants to be the surgeon general one day.

 

[Eamonn]

i am interested in this topic too, and not just to be an asshat to people who "really want to be practicing MDs." i think it is natural to want to know what we could do if, for some reason down the line, we fall out of love with medicine, without having wasted our 4 or 7 years. another possibility is becoming a medical journalist or correspondent - think the MD on the 11 oclock news, or sanjay gupta on CNN or any less mainstream MDs in media.

 

[Rafa]

The bunk issue of "taking someone's spot" aside, what's the worth in spending 4-8 years acquiring skills you don't intend to use? Waste of money and time, I say.