Leaving Clinical Medicine - Options

[EpiShock]

I am currently a PGY1 in a 3 year emergency medicine program. Before and after graduating from a top 15 medical school I spent a lot of time with the decision to leave clinical medicine (this really started 4th year of medical school). Prior to medical school I was a coder and while applying to medical school simultaneously applied to business schools and was accepted to multiple top 10 programs. I ultimately chose medicine but I regret that decision.

I absolutely do not wish to continue the residency. My reasons are well formed and nothing you say will dissuade me. Has anyone here left a residency to pursue a MBA? I think the training/degree would help me pursue the type of career I desire integrating tech and medicine.

1. Does anyone have any suggestions how I might leverage the MD in a business career.
2. Can anyone suggest any resources I might read?

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[mats7]

You can integrate tech and medicine without doing an MBA. There are many working at health tech startups. They use their staff positions at hospitals as leverage to expand markets for emerging tech, and they advise the clinical implementation of the technology. Try staying on top of health tech news and reaching out to mentors you may know.

 

[itchypants73]

Can you expand on what a career like that looks like? I have a tech background/interest and want to integrate it into medicine, but I'm really not sure how...
Thanks!

 

[MDviaMBB]

A good option would be to pursue a Masters in Translational Medicine at UC Berkeley/UCSF. A lot of its alumni went to medical school and, from the looks of things, some went into industry without a residency.

http://uctranslationalmedicine.org/

I spoke to their Program several years ago when a Kyle Kurpinsky was in charge of it; it looks like the program has changed somewhat to have more of a connection with medical research at UCSF. That's a smart move, to say the least.

 

[EpiShock]

A good option would be to pursue a Masters in Translational Medicine at UC Berkeley/UCSF. A lot of its alumni went to medical school and, from the looks of things, some went into industry without a residency.

http://uctranslationalmedicine.org/

I spoke to their Program several years ago when a Kyle Kurpinsky was in charge of it; it looks like the program has changed somewhat to have more of a connection with medical research at UCSF. That's a smart move, to say the least.

Thanks for the link. Are you at a consulting firm? I ask because of the MBB in your name (ie mckinsey, bain, boston). If so how are you enjoying the field?

 

[MDviaMBB]

Thanks for the link. Are you at a consulting firm? I ask because of the MBB in your name (ie mckinsey, bain, boston). If so how are you enjoying the field?

You're welcome. You could also do an MBA, probably even at one of the top 10/M7 business schools; checking out the wallstreetoasis forums would be helpful if you're interested.

I'm not in consulting, though. I'll either do an internship/fellowship at a consulting group or something related to drug development during medical school if I don't do an MD/MBA.

 

[SPSS]

Most people I knew struggled after leaving clinical practice, there is little job security and the pay is terrible outside the medical practice. It's not an easy choice.
Anyway if you insist my advice is the following :

Option 1: clinical pharmacology fellowship then join pharmaceutical company.
Option 2: clinical informatics fellowship ( you already have a coding background) and there are tremendous opportunities for career, business, consulting ,...etc

 

[CopperStripes]

Most people I knew struggled after leaving clinical practice, there is little job security and the pay is terrible outside the medical practice. It's not an easy choice.
Anyway if you insist my advice is the following :

Option 1: clinical pharmacology fellowship then join pharmaceutical company.
Option 2: clinical informatics fellowship ( you already have a coding background) and there are tremendous opportunities for career, business, consulting ,...etc

To say that there is little job security and terrible pay outside of medical practice, but then go on to report that doing a clinical informatics fellowship opens up tremendous opportunities is nonsensical. There are plenty of fantastic opportunities for MDs outside of clinical practice, both related and unrelated to health IT. Formal training in clinical informatics honestly has little to due with what opportunities are available to a doctor. Where the field of clinical informatics stands currently, experience (and even merely a genuine interest in some cases) carries just as much, or more, weight than having a fellowship. Right now doctors are not even required to do a fellowship to become board certified in clinical informatics!

 

[SPSS]

Blah blah blahhhh nonsensical !! I don't see any point useful to anyone are you just arguing for sake of argument.

Informatics and IT field is the leading growing business now and in the coming decade among them is clinical and public health informatics.

I recently was involved in a national clinical informatics project for Kuwait it was contracted for 60 million dollars !! If that not a great opportunity then, maybe you mr next warren buffet tell us some of your multimillion deals, indulges us please mr millionaire knowing everything .

 

[EpiShock]

SPSS did you do a clinical informatics fellowship? How did you get involved in a large clinical informatics project as a resident?

 

[CopperStripes]

No, I'm definitely not arguing for the sake of argument! I simply wanted to point out that doing a special fellowship such as an informatics is just one of several ways to transition away from clinical medicine and be quite successful. I also don't want EpiShock or any other readers to get the false impression that options are limited or that job opportunities are hard to come by outside of clinical medicine. You may have acquaintances who have struggled, but I have many (in the US) who have not struggled and have moved on to have terrific nonclinical careers. It's not easy, and the opportunities don't just fall into your lap, but it's doable if you put effort into it.

 

[neglect]

I am currently a PGY1 in a 3 year emergency medicine program. Before and after graduating from a top 15 medical school I spent a lot of time with the decision to leave clinical medicine (this really started 4th year of medical school). Prior to medical school I was a coder and while applying to medical school simultaneously applied to business schools and was accepted to multiple top 10 programs. I ultimately chose medicine but I regret that decision.

I absolutely do not wish to continue the residency. My reasons are well formed and nothing you say will dissuade me. Has anyone here left a residency to pursue a MBA? I think the training/degree would help me pursue the type of career I desire integrating tech and medicine.

1. Does anyone have any suggestions how I might leverage the MD in a business career.
2. Can anyone suggest any resources I might read?

I say this with respect and compassion and above all you have to follow your heart. But my recommendations as to how to "leverage" an MD into a business career: suck it up and get a residency under your belt. Because an MD is a great lever to move oneself into medicine, but it is not at all important in business. In fact, very few doctors are good at business. It is almost like they learned no business in med school.

So that restricts you to medical businesses. Luckily there are a ton out there. But take pharma or devices: you will NEVER rise far without a residency and fellowship. I do a ton of trials, which brings me into contact with many people in many roles in drug development and marketing. I don't consider a med school graduate to be an appropriate liaison for any purpose. In fact, I have met such people, and they're always bull**** and have a nepotism angle.

So for what it's worth: you spent thousands to be a doctor. You just spent 1/2 a year as an intern. Change into a Cush residency. Once you have the residency done, then consider the MBA. It'll be quite a salary hit, but if you really can't stand it, you owe it to yourself. Then again, really think long and hard about the fact that the grass always seems greener. I have friends in industry. It doesn't seem as cool as my job. (Plus I don't like travel.)