After Quitting Psychiatry, then What?

[prominence]

I am curious about this topic, because my passion for the field of psychiatry and medicine in general has gradually waned.
I respect the field of psychiatry, but I just don't think it is for me anymore. My current job contract will be up at the end of August, and I don't plan or renewing it.

Any stories of people who quit psychiatry (and had already completed their psychiatry residency) and went on to work in a non-clinical job/setting? If so, what type of job did they end up in?

I know there was a similar thread on this topic recently in this forum. I am looking for some inspiration and some hope regarding the future direction for the rest of my career. I am interested in hearing about actual people who have left psychiatry and are relatively happy and successful in their new job (if that is possible).

Please share any helpful feedback. Thank you.

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[Sneezing]

1) There are some who set up businesses for telepsychiatry. They are the go between for psychiatrists and clinics/hospitals/PCP offices. They'll deal with the technology upkeep and even grant writing.

2) Start a business in one of your other passions.

3) Start a private practice and only work on the aspects you enjoy. You can't be 100% burn out.

4) Pursue a fellowship in Forensics and get a JD, see where that takes you.

5) Pursue a fellowship in sleep medicine, pain medicine. Or even try to kick off a research career. Molecular genetics are hot!

6) Open a botox clinic and become a needle jockey.

7) Move to Thailand and become a buddhist monk, or join a european monastery.

8) Run for a government job.

9) Pursue the job you would have had you not gone to medical school.

10) Teach. Anything. Highschool, community college psych, medical students.

11) Contact the makers of foxes new show mental and tell them how horribly wrong their show is, and then bill them.

 

[kugel]

A friend of mine figured out early in residency that he'd made a mistake and wanted out of medicine. He took a job with the Univ Med Ctr IT dept helping them move to a fully electronic medical record - knowing how physicians use info and what will help, what will hinder patient care. This kind of project takes at least a few years to dev'p and implement. His salary was about 85% of starting salary for a psychiatrist in the same system, 9-5, no call or OT. He seemed very happy with that when I left the area in 2003.

 

[VMSmith]

12) Start a youtube channel and post videos of yourself talking about mental illness. And also some of you playing in the hay wearing only your underwear and a cape.