An alternative career for doctors is a vital consideration for those who wish to get out of the medical field. Physicians do not have to leave their careers only due to retirement. They can also pursue other interests for personal growth and fulfillment. A second career may not pay more but can be interesting, challenging, and fulfilling.
A change can boost your morale as a doctor and provide an opportunity to serve your country differently. What has been stopping you from making this career change? If you lack knowledge on the best alternative career for doctors, here is a detailed guide.
Which is the best alternative career for doctors?
As a physician, you have a few suitable career transition paths. We can suggest the best alternatives if you feel unhappy with your current medical career.
They can be non-clinical or clinical job transitions. Whether you currently work as a doctor or have worked formerly as one, you can change your career in the following ways.
1. Teaching
If you have worked in the hospital for a long time and want a change, you can try teaching. Many people can benefit from your broad medical knowledge and proven expertise. You can inspire the upcoming generation of healthcare providers through teaching. How can you begin teaching? You can join the faculty at a university that offers medicine courses.
Alternatively, you can help higher institutions create CME programs or write course outlines. Doctors are good at research and development tasks. So, you can find an opportunity while teaching. Part-time teaching opportunities are many in vocational training schools and community colleges. Medical teachers make over $42,000 per year.
2. Join the corporate world
Physicians can work in hospitals and other related organizations. As a doctor, your knowledge and experience are in demand in the pharmaceutical and health insurance sectors. As a corporate staff, you have the benefit of dressing differently and practicing the knowledge you gain at school and work. Health insurance companies want to create reliable and fair policies for patients. You can assist with that and support product research and development activities.
3. Healthcare consultancy
Another way to join the pharmaceutical companies is to become a healthcare consultant. Other companies interested in your broad medical facts are laboratories, medical device organizations, NGOs, and government agencies.
These organizations might need your help when looking to integrate new technologies or doing related research and product development work. You can also familiarize yourself with financial management to include it in your consultancy work.
4. Medical writing or editing
As a doctor, you might also be good at writing and editing. If you can enjoy this work, you can make it your best alternative career for doctors. As you will be a niche writer focusing on medical writing work, you can get openings from various companies.
You can earn a good salary writing or editing for medical equipment developers, hospitals, and pharmaceutical and drug companies. Additionally, you can compose different materials, including peer-review content, textbook development, or test preparation materials.
You can also publish your work on popular medical websites or in publications like magazines. As you can work remotely during your free time, this job can spare time for other money-making activities.
5. Medical malpractice expert witness
Justice can be harder to find where systems are corrupt. If you are a just person and you dislike mistreatment, you can select the medical malpractice expert as your next alternative career for doctors. There is no need to restrict yourself to one side as you can potentially defend doctors and patients.
Your job can be emotionally satisfying, no matter the person you seek justice for. If you become an expert witness, you must attend court proceedings. If you can do that, this is a side job you can use to supplement your income.
6. Businessman
Even if you have several medical degrees, you could become a physician entrepreneur. A new business may be hard to run at first but can soon become successful. As healthcare is a broad sector, you must locate an area to invest in.
From medical equipment production to medical technology, you have several choices. Working as a medical businessman is another way to change the lives of several people. As a medical entrepreneur, you will face many challenges, including capital shortage.
If you can endure the challenges, a business can be a great alternative career for doctors. Furthermore, you can use your knowledge and creativity to become the best physician innovator.
7. Forensic medical examiner
If you can investigate crimes, you can become a forensic medical examiner. There are many ways to practice this job, including becoming a pathologist to discover the cause of death. You can become a coroner or an examiner, but these careers will require further training in forensic pathology.
8. Health economics
Doctors do not usually have financial knowledge. Nevertheless, they can participate in a one-year training program to become health economists. Professionals in this area earn around $97,811 per annum. If you are willing to acquire further education, this is an area you can try.
9. Practice lifestyle medicine
A practical alternative career for doctors is lifestyle medicine. Several people across the world want to lose excess weight. Also, they want to have the best mental health. As you are already a doctor, you can specialize in lifestyle medicine. You will teach people about dieting, exercising, sleeping, positivity, and other lifestyle issues. If you study to become a registered dietitian, you could make up to ninety thousand dollars a year. There are other career paths you can follow in this context and make even more money.
How you can switch a career successfully
No matter the alternative career for doctors you like prepare adequately for this transition.
Carry out thorough research
If your qualifications are adequate, several employers might need your help. But you should look for these employers to apply for the jobs they are offering. Try online job boards and websites of top organizations in the healthcare-related fields. Also, use traditional job searching methods to find the role you need. If you want to be a doctor or entrepreneur, look for consultants who can offer valuable advice. Lastly, conduct a market survey to find areas you can invest in.
Go back to school
As we noted, some alternative jobs for doctors demand specific knowledge on the subject. Most courses run for around 12 months and some go well with your medical practice. After the course, you will receive certification that will enable you to get a job or customers.
Write new curriculum vitae
Since you are shifting to a different career, you need suitable curriculum vitae or resume. It should include your past and current work experiences and achievements. However, transfer only relevant skills to the CV and insert all helpful achievements and certifications. A long CV or resume is undesirable as most HR recruiters will not read it. Thus, make it brief while ensuring that all relevant qualifications are in the CV.
Write separate cover letters
As you might send a couple of cover letters before landing a new job, make a cover letter for each application. That is because each job will have unique requirements you need to address in your cover letter. Similar to a resume, your cover letter should be brief but convincing.
Get ready for an interview
After sending various job applications, some potential recruiters might request you to attend an interview. You need to prepare yourself well for the interview. By learning everything you can about the hirer, you can find a proper way to answer their interview questions. The internet has questions and answers used for past interviews. You can read such content to boost your confidence. While giving practical examples may help you win, you can think of other suitable ways to answer interview questions. Apart from getting ready mentally, you must choose the best interview attire, come in early, and keep the phone switched off.
Advantages of switching to an alternative career
Leaving your medical practice partly or wholly has its benefits. These include:
Reduced work-related stress
Medical work is physically and mentally hard. Doctors have to respond to work-related calls even on the weekends. They save lives during business hours and off working hours. If this describes you, changing your career can reduce your stress.
Enhance your work and life balance
If you have a family, you probably never have adequate time for it because of your medical duties. Perhaps you hardly get time to travel or try a business on the side. If you choose an alternative career for doctors, you can do all these things and still make money.
Get into a career you truly desire
Perhaps you did not want to do medicine but your parents forced you. Perhaps you feel that medicine is not your purpose in life. If you start a new career you truly feel and love, you can give it your all and succeed.
You can make more money
If you are unhappy with your current pay, nothing should stop you from progressing into a different career. As long as it pays a better wage, you will feel contented. If you want to keep practicing medicine and do something else, perhaps you should work as a part-time doctor and teacher.
Conclusion
Doctors and all medical practitioners had the toughest test in their career lives after the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. As they fought to save people’s lives, they also put themselves in danger. For some doctors, that was adequate motivation to seek an alternative career for doctors. If you want to shift careers for this reason or others, you now know who else you can become.
Besides doctors, other medical professionals can also shift to new careers. For instance, take the example of Speech Language Pathologists’ alternative career options; tons of jobs are available for SLPs who might be looking for a career shift. We wish you good luck in your new job! Hope you enjoy it.
