Off the Beaten Path: Finding Passion and Purpose in Non-Clinical Avenues

Medical student. Resident. Fellow. Attending. The path to becoming a practicing physician in the United States has been well-paved for decades. This model of medical education is like a treadmill that, once on, there is no getting off until retirement. This analogy could be applied to other professions, but it seems extraordinarily true for medical training. Undoubtedly, medical trainees benefit from such a well-oiled machine. This kind of system launches its learners from students to practicing physicians in the shortest time possible.

But what if you want to get off the treadmill for a bit?

More heretically, what if you want to change treadmills entirely?

After all, medicine is a challenging career. Endless studying, long days (and nights), high stakes, difficult patient interactions, extended time away from friends and family, and constant liability will weigh on anyone. In many practice settings, these factors are only worsening as medicine integrates with the corporate world. Therefore, it is unsurprising that more clinicians and trainees are seeking alternative career options.

This is where I found myself as a resident. As a new father, having just moved away from our home and support system, I wondered if the excessive stress that would encompass my future medical career was worthwhile anymore. Moreover, I knew I had other skillsets and interests that could be combined with my medical training to open different doors. Resultingly, I felt myself being pulled in a different career direction.

 I vividly remember a conversation I had with an attending physician mentor. When I asserted that my heart and mind were telling me to pursue something other than clinical medicine, her response came after a brief silence: “…Like what?”

A provocative question.

For myself, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Having completed a full-time research year in medical school, I had already uncovered a passion for clinical research and scientific writing. I set my sights on a new career path and have never looked back. Since leaving residency, I have found my current roles in clinical research and medical writing to be incredibly rewarding avenues in which I can utilize my medical knowledge, communication skills, and critical thinking abilities—all things I learned in medical school and residency—to make a difference every day. Nothing has been lost.

Although I have known about medical writing and clinical research since my preclinical years of medical school (yes, I started looking at alternative career paths even back then), the above question posed by my attending interested me in what other avenues might exist. But common knowledge states that the only things you can do with an M.D. or D.O. are see patients, perform surgery, or work in a wet lab, right?

Au contraire.

Foraging for more information, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon The Doctor’s Crossing podcast. The podcast is hosted by Dr. Heather Fork, who left her dermatology practice to become a physician career coach. She discusses all things related to non-clinical options for physicians. Listening to Heather (as she prefers to be referred to) and her conversations with non-clinical physicians has exposed me to an entire world of options. What’s more, most of these physicians exude a passion for their current role that, per their admission, was unattainable in clinical practice.

Vast opportunities now exist for those with a medical background secondary to the explosion of medicine-adjacent fields such as biotech, pharma, clinical trial research, and medical communications. From medical school grads without a license or board certification (such as me) to subspecialty experts who have spent their careers in practice, myriad non-clinical careers exist for every level of training. These avenues—often unknown to medical learners—can be incredibly rewarding and offer many things that a career in clinical medicine does not. There’s an entire organization for non-clinical physicians. I’m not going to discuss all the different options here— there are too many to talk about—but I encourage you to check out Heather’s podcast for more information.

I want to be clear: I am not trying to dissuade anyone from a career as a practicing clinician. Despite the difficulties involved, I have observed that practicing medicine offers the ability to help people that few other professions can. There are also many other benefits, including excellent job security and a high income. Not to mention societal recognition (if that is important to you); Few other professions get the same kind of cocktail party admiration when asked, “So, what do you do for work?” As such, trainees considering a different pathway must contemplate why they are considering a career switch. Is it because of the insane hours and steep learning curve that are part and parcel of the training process? Those issues will likely improve as an attending, and if one truly enjoys the practice of medicine, it’s probably worth sticking it out to see if things improve. Conversely, if one’s scorn for medicine involves a component inherent to medical practice—such as inexorable stress, constant liability, or difficult patient interactions—then perhaps evaluating a different career trajectory is in order.

After deep consideration, I decided an alternate path would provide me more career satisfaction and enjoyment in my daily work. Not to mention more flexibility in pursuing other avenues of my life—such as being a husband and father.

The medical training pathway is well-paved and offers many benefits to those on it. Consequently, contemplating a career change into a different, non-medical role is intimidating. If you are a young trainee in this situation, I want you to know that you have options. There is no need to despair; you can, without a doubt, find a well-paying non-clinical career you are passionate about and utilize your medical training. 

You only have to venture a little ways off the beaten path. The opportunities you find will surprise you.