Non Clinical Doctors
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Transition Toolkit

The instruction Manual For Doctors Considering Career Change

Right vs. Wrong Approach to Finding a Non-Clinical Job

1/10/2023

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"I can do anything"

I have received this question hundreds of times from doctors in the US and abroad:
"I am a doctor looking for a career switch. I can provide medical advice for any company. I can speak, write, share my opinions, and consult. I can do just about anything you need. Can you recommend something for me? I need to continue to make at least my current income."


Ironically, expressing too much flexibility in your job search can backfire.

It is true that most doctors have many different skills and talents. Yet, many doctors cannot easily find non clinical positions. At the same time, I also hear regularly from recruiters who tell me that they can't easily fill their well-paying positions. Why are there so many doctors who want non-clinical jobs while there are unfilled jobs? The reason is that doctors and recruiters often don't speak the same language. I have learned that there is a wrong approach to looking for a non-clinical job and there is a right approach. Sticking to the right approach saves time and prevents disappointment.

Wrong Way
There are no job descriptions for 'a doctor who wants to change direction.' Recruiters are very specific in their needs. One of the first questions recruiters ask me is, "do you know someone who is a good fit for this position?" They typically describe the experience and skills they are looking for.

The wrong way to transition out of clinical medicine is to look for, ‘anything else’ without specifying what it is that you are looking for. If you state that you can do anything (especially that you want to provide advice) you are less likely to be taken seriously than if you are specific and targeted in your approach.

Managers and recruiters try to avoid hiring people who seem like they want to 'get away' from something.

Right Way
The right way to obtain a non-clinical job is to:

1. Honestly evaluate your goals and professional priorities. There are so many options, and there is no reason to pivot to a position that will not fit in with your life goals. This includes your level of interest in the work, as well as other priorities you might have (stability? flexibility? working from home?)

2. Study your options and narrow down your choices to the type of jobs that match your professional and personal objectives. Finding the right fit is the most important part of landing the right job. Doctors who are changing direction need to reevaluate their goals before, not after, they start looking for the right non-traditional job.

Each type of non-clinical job requires a different approach. Before applying for any non-clinical position, it is helpful to become familiar with the work environment, typical salary, work expectations, and, of course, the best approach for finding a job in that specific field.

Find out if you are qualified for what you are looking for. Learn how to become qualified for the most common non-clinical jobs to see if you have the time and interest to make yourself a good candidate.

You could sabotage yourself by offering to do 'anything' or 'provide advice'. You can use nonclinicaldoctors.com and the many resources for physicians who are looking at non clinical jobs to find more details about how to effectively tailor your job search for the job you really want. This will give you a huge advantage as you look for the right fit.

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Additional Income Sources for Physicians

12/7/2022

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There are many different types of projects that physicians can pursue for additional income while maintaining patient care responsibilities. Some doctors take on these types of projects to augment their earnings, and some seek them to gain experience and exposure to other aspects of medicine. Side work can be a good way to gain experience that will eventually help you position yourself for a full time non clinical job. A number of these options can also provide a salary to replace full time clinical practice.

  • Chart review– Also referred to as utilization review, this work is a common part time venture that can take from a few hours per month to several hours per day. Chart review work generally involves reviewing length of stay, prescription medications, diagnostic testing, or procedures. Physician reviewers make a recommendation for approval or denial and might discuss peer to peer details with ordering physicians. You can find chart review companies listed here.
  • Medical legal work- This normally requires maintaining active clinical practice, and the hourly rate is often fairly generous. The work typically entails reviewing medical outcomes, creating a report, and sometimes testifying in court as well. You can work directly with a law firm or with a medical malpractice company, or you can sign up to be on an expert witness registry. Physicians can sign up to be on the registry of The Expert Institute and SEAK

  • Consulting- This seemingly vague term encompasses two main routes for physicians. 
    • Some doctors work for medical consulting companies that require a full time commitment and significant travel. This type of work may involve projects for larger pharmaceutical clients. A number of these companies are listed here.
    • Another option is becoming an independent consultant and providing seminars and advice for corporations within a specific niche. This physician is an example of that route. This type of work requires a substantial investment of time and networking to be able to get projects.
  • Physician advisor- This role is not generally a full time position. Often, pharmaceutical and medical device companies need to interview physicians to better understand the role that their products play in the disease and therapeutic landscape. These positions are generally temporary, require modest time commitment, and pay generously. The best way to pursue this avenue is through involvement in clinical trials or by networking with colleagues who direct clinical trials.
  • Writing- Many doctors consider writing to be fairly tedious, but for those to whom writing comes naturally, it is an appealing source of revenue. In general, breaking into non-medical writing jobs takes dedication and time. Here are tips about self-publishing for physicians. And medical writing, another interesting route, requires some planning, as discussed here. Medical writing jobs can involve writing for pharmaceutical or biomedical device companies, CME, or educational writing.
  • Teaching- Medical education is a wide ranging field that includes many different roles. Working as an adjunct professor is among the most beloved part time pursuits for physicians because it offers a community of creative colleagues and a young, energetic university or medical school environment. Generally, finding a teaching job requires networking within your local education community. Find out more about how to use your medical qualifications to find a teaching job here. Additionally, physicians can work as clerkship directors, test prep writers, and can give lectures in medical school or other health professional schools.
  • Concierge care- Concierge care is patient care, but with a somewhat different arrangement than usual. There are companies that help physicians with the logistical aspects of setting up a concierge practice and. A physician explains how he integrated concierge care into his practice here.
  • Disability exams- While performing and documenting disability exams is patient-based, it does not require on call duties, and thus is an attractive option for doctors who want to add a generous extra income without incurring additional patient follow up commitments or medical malpractice exposure. You can potentially do this type of work along with clinical care or full time. More information here.
  • Product affiliations- Doctors have varied degrees of involvement when it comes to product affiliations. Some physicians directly sell products in the office or on social media, and some endorse products or serve as a spokesperson. You can contact a leader who guides physicians through the process here and a physician who has built an expanded her team here.
  • Investments- Investing in the stock market, in real estate or in start up companies can provide a revenue stream for doctors who already have a reasonable financial foundation and an interest in spending the time necessary to thoroughly vet potential growth opportunities.
  • Franchise ownership- As with investing, franchise ownership is a route chosen by people of all backgrounds and professions. There are so many franchises in a variety of different areas, and some companies, such as this one, for example, help people sift through the options to select the best fit.
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HOW A PHYSICIAN CAN BECOME QUALIFIED FOR A NON-

7/2/2022

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How to Get a Non-Clinical Job in Healthcare
I hear from so many doctors who tell me that they are trying to leave clinical medicine and can't seem to get a job outside of direct patient care. Sometimes, a physician looking to make a transition outside of patient care needs to acquire just a few additional qualifications to become a strong candidate for the job. It's important to make yourself the best candidate you can be for the non-clinical positions that you want to apply for, and you can do that by devoting a reasonable amount of time and attention to the process.

Below are a few examples of common non-clinical careers for doctors and what you need to do to get there.

Research
If you want to work as a lead researcher in a pharmaceutical company, you need to gain demonstrable research experience. If you have not already built experience during your medical school and residency, you can enter into the area of research later in your career. And some physicians work in the research field without doing a residency—usually starting at an entry level and gradually taking on more and more responsibility and leadership. 
You can acquire experience by starting in an entry level position:
  • At a pharmaceutical company
  • In a university setting as a post-doc
  • At a government research organization that trains scientific investigators
All of these roles provide experience, as well as a salary. There are also several programs that can help international physicians gain experience in research.

Business
If you want to work in the business side of medicine, either on the payer side or on the administrative side, you can start by joining a hospital committee or by taking your specialty organization courses on medical reimbursement. Some doctors choose to take the MBA route. All of these strategies can work.
The key is to learn the language and processes that drive healthcare administration and business and to practice working with others to achieve demonstrable outcomes.  Learn how you can better understand the business and/or regulatory side of medicine here.
 
Leadership
If your objective is to become a leader, you need to start by proving that you can lead. Surprisingly, this doesn't mean that you should demonstrate that you know how to intimidate people or boss them around. You need to start by making things work within your professional environment—and that means making agreements happen and making things run smoothly. When others can vouch for your leadership capabilities by saying that you are the person to turn to in times of need, you can confidently say that you have what it takes to be a leader.
 
Medical writing
In order to be paid to write, you have to prove that you can write well. This is a tough area to break into, but you can begin by working on a team to write an academic paper for a peer reviewed journal or by submitting an article to an online blog. You cannot expect to be paid to write until you have demonstrated that your writing is good enough for a company to pay you to write for them. Health and medical writing can be a lucrative field if you make your work valuable from a business perspective.
You can get started by submitting an article to nonclinicaldoctors.com to see how an audience responds to your writing and also to use the article as a writing sample if you apply for a writing job.
 
Medical review
The world of pre-authorization and utilization review is becoming more regulated. Clinical practice or previous work on specialty guidelines is often an unofficial prerequisite for this type of work. A medical license or board certification is typically a requirement for medical review work.
Consider serving on your hospital utilization committee or participating in your specialty guideline group if you are considering applying for a position in utilization review.  See a list of chart review companies here.

Applying for a non-clinical job should not be stressful. Be prepared to devote some time and energy to learning about non-clinical jobs before you apply. A knowledgeable applicant is the strongest applicant.
Once you know the qualifications a doctor needs to get a non-clinical job, be honest with yourself as you ask yourself whether you are a strong candidate?
There are several ways to figure out if you are a strong candidate:
  • You can try to find a recruiter to ask directly. I have known several recruiters who are willing to give a look to a CV and give thoughtful feedback.
  • To figure out some answers about your qualification for non-clinical jobs on your own, you can search for the companies that hire doctors for the type of job you want. (Find some links to companies here. ) Take the time to read each organization’s mission statements and what they expect to achieve. Look through the biographies of members of their leadership team, and review the qualifications of the people who hold the job you aspire to. Then honestly ask yourself—"where do I stack up?"
At this point, you can decide whether you are ready or whether you need to take some time to build up your qualifications.

Making yourself a strong candidate
To build your qualifications for the non-clinical job you want, you need to be purposeful in your approach. You need to establish skills or qualifications if you don't have them already.
The biggest mistake doctors make when applying for non-clinical jobs is saying, "I can do any job." Find out how to avoid mistakes when looking for a non-clinical job.

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Steps to a Non-Clinical Career in Medicine

2/14/2020

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Doctors who want to transition into non-clinical jobs often don't know where to begin. There are many physicians and health care professionals who want to find non-clinical jobs- for a variety of reasons. The following steps can make that transition happen smoothly.

1. Evaluate why you want to get out of clinical medicine. Each doctor has a unique story. Start by evaluating current goals. Some doctors want more money, some want more recognition, some crave free time, and some want new challenges. You can use Careers Beyond Clinical Medicine or this list identify your goals. You must remember - your own personal goals are valid and worthy of follow through. Identify your goals and be proud of your career goals.

2. Learn about the options in the non-clinical world. There are many important roles for doctors in health care besides patient care. Non-clinical jobs for doctors is a catch-all label that covers a wide array of choices. Explore the resources around you to find out as much as you can about the different options and what to expect in terms of salary, time commitment, work environment, and future prospects for promotion. There are also opportunities completely outside of healthcare that you can excel at. You can find a substantial amount of useful information here on nonclinicaldoctors.com and there are useful links to help you find other online resources as well.

3. Match your goals to the available career options. Find the right fit for you. Narrow your career search to focus on the jobs that suit your current, and possibly future, career goals. You might decide to stay in patient care, but make some adjustments to your job. Or you may decide to stay in the medical field in a job that does not involve as much patient care as your current job, you might decide to leave patient care completely, or you might even decide to leave medicine completely. These physician success stories can help you get an idea of the day to day life of a non-clinical physician.
4. Strategize to determine the right approaches you need to take for the jobs that fit your goals. Become an expert at understanding the ins and outs of your future career. Careers Beyond Clinical Medicine provides you with thorough insight into non-clinical job opportunities and shows you in detail how to get the job. I did all the research for you, so you don't have to. If your only complaint is that I have provided too much detail then I have done my job- because I want to provide you with as much guidance as you could ever need!

5. Taking Initiative
As you map out your next steps, there are three methods that you can use to approach your career transition:
  1. Self-guided: If you choose the self directed route, you can learn about non clinical jobs by talking to peers and recruiters. You can read books like Careers Beyond Clinical Medicine to understand the job descriptions, salary expectations, and requirements. You can identify job openings, write your cover letters, and fill out job applications. This self directed method is the one that most doctors have been able to use to effectively find a well paying non-clinical job in line with long term professional goals.
  2. A non-clinical careers course: There are a number of courses and seminars that provide doctors with advice and guidance in resume writing, linking with recruiters, and becoming qualified for non-clinical jobs. Hundreds of physicians attend these courses annually, and the vast majority have found them useful for career transitions.
  3. Find a personal coach/mentor: You can hire a professional career coach to review your qualifications, help you identify your priorities, point you in the right direction, and suggest potential career options for you. With this route, you can get personal one on one attention from an experienced professional, as well as an accountability partner.
Of course, you can also combine these methods to find the right mix for you.

6. Accept a good job and continue to prove to yourself and to others that you are an asset. Doctors can succeed in a variety of non-clinical fields. When doctors thrive on the non-clinical world, there are many winners, including the health care delivery system as a whole.

If you decide at any time throughout this process that you want to stay in clinical medicine, but you think you need to make some changes to your current work environment, don't delay improving your situation. Your patients will be better served if you are in a situation that is fair and productive. Every physician can and should achieve career satisfaction.
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Teaching Jobs For Physicians

2/11/2020

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If you are a physician looking for a teaching position, there are several options open to you, including college, graduate school and a professional school teaching positions. Teaching jobs in elementary through high school usually require an education degree and a teaching license, which takes several years of additional schooling, even if you already have an MD or a DO. 

Teaching is a joy for some and a drag for others. It is often a suitable fit for doctors who are good at interacting with students and peers. But teaching is not usually the right choice for doctors who want to escape from patient care, and students deserve to be taught by professors who enjoy teaching. It takes time and energy to find a teaching position, and doctors who are not genuinely interested in teaching may find the time involved in searching for a teaching job discouraging. If you consider teaching a desirable option, there are some useful tips to consider first. 
Personal Qualities 
Most university and graduate school department chairmen receive numerous inquiries from highly qualified professionals who want to teach. If you want to be considered for a teaching position, you should have evidence of certain personal qualities in addition to your medical degree. And, a chairman or departmental committee will check your references to see if you have these qualities. 
  • Experience in teaching: Most physicians have taught junior residents or medical students in hospital rounds. You have probably also given a few grand rounds or prepared morbidity and mortality meetings. You may have also given a few lectures or case study sessions in the medical school setting. 
  • Good feedback from students or peers: If you have taught before, it is likely that your teaching skills have been formally assessed. Recommendations that reference your teaching evaluations can be valuable when you are applying for a teaching position. 
  • Demonstration of organizational skills: Teaching a course for a whole semester requires organization of lectures, exams, and creating a syllabus. While it may be difficult to demonstrate this ability if you have not previously taught a whole semester class before, experience with tasks such as organizing an on-call schedule or a clinic schedule can demonstrate that you are capable of preparing a course for students. 
  • Attentive to learning goals: This one can be difficult for physicians. As a high achiever, you may have strong opinions about your teaching objectives. However, while your goals are probably commendable, teaching a course isn’t about you. It is about ensuring that your students learn what is necessary at their educational stage. 
  • Encouraging and fair: Students learn when professors empower and challenge. Students need to be given instructions, opportunities to demonstrate skills, balanced feedback, and chances for improvement.
What to Expect 
It is also important to know what a teaching position may entail. 
  • Full time vs. part time: If you want to teach undergraduate or graduate level courses, you may qualify for an adjunct position if you don’t want to do research, or for a full time tenured position if you want to do research. Sometimes, there are full time teaching positions for non- researchers, but these are not at common. 
  • Compensation: The pay for university teaching varies, and it is typically calculated per credit hour or per course taught. The hourly rate may be competitive, particularly as you gain seniority and if you are knowledgeable about the subject matter and organized in your work. 
  • Vacations: There are typically built-in vacations, as you will rarely be expected to work when school is not in session. 
  • Professional development: Most universities provide opportunities for professors to learn new skills and stay up to date. The university setting is generally more updated when it comes to technology than a small medical office or a small company, and you will quickly learn how to use the most efficient and updated systems. You will also have the opportunity to learn about updated teaching strategies. 
  • Smart colleagues: One of the major benefits of teaching is the exposure to creative and energetic colleagues who are devoted to students, their research, or both. 
  • Student interaction: Teaching can be a great option for physicians who like interpersonal interaction. It does require patience, kindness, and the ability to grade and evaluate students fairly. If you want to leave medicine to escape from anxious patients, then teaching may not be a good fit, because students can be anxious as well. 
  • Professional opportunities: University professors are highly sought after as experts in industry. Publishers, medical manufacturers, and conference organizers are likely to offer you well compensated consulting opportunities. 
How to Find a Job
In general, most teaching positions in higher education require a PhD. Physicians are not the typical applicants, but some are able to find teaching jobs in college, medical school, or another type of graduate school. There are some helpful methods to keep in mind in your search.
  • Applying: If you want a teaching position, it is best to apply widely to several universities. Finding a job in a prestigious university may take longer, as you wait for job openings. However, if your objective is to gain experience in teaching, it is best to apply to a variety of universities, even those that are not especially prestigious. 
  • Networking: If you are interested in teaching, it is helpful to network and to mention your interest to physicians and professors so that you can learn about openings, and so that people will know to contact you when teaching positions become available. Chairmen and professors often know about opportunities that come up in other departments and universities, and may share information with you when a good fit comes up. 
  • Clarity: It is not uncommon for physicians to teach a few lectures on a volunteer basis. If you are looking for a paid position, you need to be clear about your goals and objectives. 
  • Accepting a compromise: Depending on the universities in your area, it may be difficult to find a full time position right away. However, an adjunct teaching job can open the door to a full time position after a while. But if your goal is a full time position, it is best to confirm that it will be an option at some point in the future before you accept a compromise that cannot lead you to your long term goals.
 
Many doctors express a desire to teach. Teaching can be enjoyable, and it opens many doors professionally. However, teaching requires dedication so it is important to decide if you really want to teach before you start looking for jobs.
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Your Most Valuable Tool For Finding a Non-clinical Job

2/1/2020

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When I hear from doctors who are looking for good non-clinical jobs, physicians often include a list of positive attributes such as 'I work well with others,' 'I am eager to learn,' or 'I have a strong interest in starting my own business.'

While these attributes are valuable in achieving success, they often don't help in gaining credibility in the transition to the non-clinical workforce, or in negotiating a competitive salary.

Your most valuable tool for finding a non-clinical job is expertise in regulations and policies.

Expertise is one of the most valuable tools that health care professionals possess.  Doctors already have expertise in medical care. However, the current medical atmosphere has led to an overwhelming growth of policies in areas of coding, billing, licensing, accreditation, practice parameters, best models of health care, patient privacy, cost containment, documentation and electronic medical records- to name just a few of the complex regulatory matters that affect every aspect of health care.

Whether you aspire to work in an executive or administrative role or to start your own business, a mastery of these hard to grasp regulatory issues will serve you well and can potentially make you irreplaceable. When you customize your own areas of non-clinical healthcare policy expertise, you will reap the benefits of your invested time and energy.
There are a number of effective ways to master healthcare regulation. You can use the following approaches to build regulatory expertise. Most doctors do not need to use all of these methods, and instead mix and match these tools at a self-appointed pace.

  • Join one of your decision-driven hospital or university committees (such as pharmacy committee or payer relations or compliance or resident education or CME) You might not get appointed right away, but if you show interest, ask to attend a few meetings as a 'guest,' and contribute usefully to the discussion (or, at least, don't anger too many people) you are likely to get an appointment in the next appointment cycle.
  • If you are offered a part-time consulting job, consider it. Most doctors turn their noses up at chart-review jobs or consulting opportunities that pay $150-200/hr. However, the experience of doing 'behind the scenes' work provides more insight into the realities and complexities of healthcare policy than most formal courses.
  • Attend programs sponsored by your professional specialty association. Most regulation centered programs do not count as CME- but they can be worthwhile for your own educational and practical benefit. These presentations are generally well designed and relevant.
  • Take a course in healthcare policy at a local college to fill in the gaps of your regulatory knowledge and to tailor your learning.
  • Use free online resources. Almost everything anyone would ever want to know about healthcare laws, rules, regulations, payment, licensing and so forth is available online. Here are some links to introductory resources to get you started.
  • Consider getting an MBA, healthcare MBA, executive MBA or MPH. So many doctors are getting these extra degrees now, that many administrative positions unofficially require them. In considering whether to get an extra degree, it is important to keep in mind that these programs can provide a mechanism to help you understand healthcare regulation- but they might not. It depends on the curriculum of the program you are considering. There are some advantages to studying for an MBA, a healthcare or executive MBA or an MPH, and these different degrees are not all the same. You should carefully examine the curriculum of several programs to get insight into what the programs have to offer- and then decide whether a program can help you in achieving your objectives. A doctor shares her decision making process and experience with the dual MD/MBA degree.

Overall, expertise in medicine is not enough to catapult you to the next step in your career. The details of regulatory and policy issues are unfamiliar to most healthcare professionals. However, a mastery of these laws and rules is a necessary step if you want to attain a leadership role in the medical world.
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    Categories

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    How To Find A Non Clinical Job
    Is A Non Clinical Job Right For Me?
    Medical Entrepreneurs
    Medical Writing
    Residents And Medical Students

    Contents

    • There is more than one way to be a doctor
    • Additional income sources for doctors
    • The path to a non-clinical physician job
    • Teaching jobs for physicians
    • Managing your finances as an independent contractor
    • Is a non-clinical job right for you?
    • Becoming qualified for a non-clinical job
    • Other options for healthcare providers
    • Regulations know-how
    • Job search mistakes to avoid
    • Creating a website
    • Physician career continuum
    • Feeling trapped in medicine
    • Read this before you drop out if residency
    • Should you take the USMLE if you don't want patient care?
    • A health writing career
    • Health article guidelines
    • How to self publish a book
    • Burning bridges
    • I don't want to be pre-med anymore
    • Writing a book​
    • What are your priorities?
    • Solutions to medical career frustration
    • Quiz-do you want to leave medicine?
    • Solutions for physician mothers
    • Top 10 signs that you need to find a non-clinical job
    • I Know a doctor who seems miserable
    • Career management for the modern physician
    • 7 tips for marketing your book

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  • Non-clinical jobs for doctors
    • How to Find a Non-Clinical Job
    • Medical career strategies
    • Transition Toolkit
    • Physician Success Stories
    • Wound Care Physician
  • Where to find non clinical jobs
    • Job Openings
    • Medical Writing and Strategy Agencies
    • Medical Review Companies
    • Medical Writing Job
    • Clinical Research Training
  • Useful Links
  • Careers for Physicians Without Residency
    • Licensing and Programs for International Physicians
  • Resources For Physicians With Disability
  • Re-Entry Into Medicine
  • Tips from your doctor
  • How to Become a Licensed Physician in the USA