Non-Clinical Opportunities for Phyisicians

Posted on May 17, 2008
Filed Under Medical (MD, DO) | Leave a Comment

by Joseph Kim, MD
Reprinted with Permission

If you’re a physician and you’re considering a non-clinical career, you may be wondering about all the opportunities out there. I get asked about this all the time. Over the years, I’ve had a chance to meet different physicians working in various companies and industries; here are my observations.

First, ask yourself what you enjoy. After all, if you don’t enjoy clinical medicine, you don’t want to end up doing something else you’re not going to enjoy. Then, start networking like crazy. Leverage all the online social networking sites (like LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo, etc.) and get reconnected with old colleagues, classmates, and friends. Find out what people are doing. They may help you get connected to some key people. You may find some of the best opportunities this way. If you’re a woman, you may want to check out MomMD (www.mommd.com).

The following list of opportunities is clearly not exhaustive. This list is based on my personal interactions with people in these roles and as I meet more people, the list grows.

  1. Healthcare administration — Are you a seasoned healthcare executive? Do you enjoy making administrative decisions? Then join the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) and run a hospital or a managed care organization. If you have a strong interest in managed care, then check out the NAMCP (National Association of Managed Care Physicians). You may want to get an MBA or an MMM (masters in medical management). A valid medical license is required for most (if not all) of these positions.
  2. Venture capital and finance — Got an MBA? If not, are you thinking of getting one? Some will argue that once you have an “M.D.” after your name, it may not matter as much where you get your MBA. However, I would argue that your MBA is your path to networking opportunities, so where you get your MBA is critical if you want to have a solid network. Once you get your MBA, you can work for venture capital (VC) firms, dig into market research companies, or work for Wall Street. Heard of the Gerson Lehrman Group (www.glgroup.com)? No clinical experience necessary for many of these opportunities. In fact, many joint MD/MBA students have ventured directly into very successful careers this way. Also, an MBA is not necessary if you have some good business skills and understand the healthcare industry.
  3. Writing and medical communications — Do you enjoy writing? Many physicians and non-physicians have very successful careers as medical writers. The field is open to people who enjoy fiction writing, publications, research, or other types of writing. You can get involved working on journal publications, developing promotional content for marketing campaigns, or developing CME programs. Join the AMWA (American Medical Writers Association) and look for opportunities. You can work from home as a freelance writer and have a very flexible schedule. Or, you can work for a publisher or another type of healthcare communications company. You can find a list of some companies by looking at the North American Association of Medical Education and Communication Companies, Inc., (NAAMECC) website. No clinical experience is necessary.
  4. Technology and Informatics — Want to develop or improve an electronic health record (EHR) system? Do you love informatics? Then join the CCHIT (Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology), the AMIA (American Medical Informatics Association), and the AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association). Clinicians use EHRs and patients (or consumers) use PHRs (Personal Health Records). There are many companies attempting to integrate the data between PHRs and EHRs. There is a national initiative to improve and standardize public health informatics, so now is a great time to enter this industry. No clinical experience is necessary, but you should be familiar with ICD, CPT, and other billing codes used in this industry.
  5. Disease management — Managed care organizations (MCOs) are always looking for better disease management (DM) programs for their plans. Some MCOs develop their own DM plans and others outsource them to external companies. These companies create and deliver various services to managed care organizations, including DM, wellness programs, personal health record services, etc. Do you ever get educational pamphlets from your own health plan? Who puts them together? Who designs and develops these wellness and preventive health programs? It’s not always WebMD. There are other companies that provide similar services.
  6. Pharma/Biotech/Device — If you’re a medical specialist, there are many opportunities to do research for these companies. If you don’t enjoy research, then you can develop marketing strategies. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements have become very popular these days. See all those ads in the medical journals? Get ready for that “corporate America” lifestyle if you plan to venture into industry. You may be working even more hours and carrying a Blackberry instead of a pager, but if you climb that “corporate ladder” and play the corporate game, you may qualify for an early retirement.
  7. Expert witnessing — Personal injury, medical malpractice, nursing home care, etc. There are firms that specialize in specific areas (like nursing home cases). Want more information? Take a look at www.seak.com.
  8. Public health — Get an MPH, join the APHA (American Public Health Association), and find a local health department. Or, join the CDC and travel the world. Develop strategies to improve population health. Some pharmaceutical companies also have public health sections and are very devoted to public health and international health. Bridge gaps in healthcare disparities.
  9. Consulting — The world is open. Want to work for yourself or for a company? Many healthcare companies are looking for experts to help them develop, refine, and improve their products and services. It may be hard to get started unless you’ve already established connections. Once again, networking becomes critical.
  10. Research — Academia vs. private vs. industry vs. CRO. You don’t have to go into industry to do research. Look for a Contract Research Organization (CRO) in your area. Join the ACRO (Association of Clinical Research Organizations).
  11. Start a company — Have an innovative idea? New companies seem to be sprouting all the time. Stay connected with people and keep your eyes open for new ideas. Get an MBA and meet people who can help you get a concept off the ground.

Not sure where to start? As I mentioned above, start building your social and professional network. Reconnect with people and ask many questions. Find people who are in various positions and ask them what they like/dislike.

Join some associations to build your network and to find companies:

ACHE: American College of Healthcare Executives
ACPE: American College of Physician Executives
ACRO: Association of Clinical Research Organizations
AHIMA: American Health Information Management Association
AMIA: American Medical Informatics Association
AMWA: American Medical Writers Association
APHA: American Public Health Association
CCHIT: Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology
NAMCP: National Association of Managed Care Physicians

National Association of MD/MBA Students
http://www.md-mba.org/

Thinking about getting an MBA? Take a look at some of these articles:
http://medicaleconomics.modernmedici….jsp?id=322635
http://www.acponline.org/clinical_in…mar03/mbas.htm
http://www.physicianleadership.com/a…sician_MBA.htm
http://www.mommd.com/mdmba.shtml
http://www.physicianspractice.com/in…icleID/378.htm

Finally, you may want to take a look at these programs:
MBA in a Day
http://www.mbainaday.com/physicians.html
SEAK - Non-clinical careers for physicians
http://www.seak.com/semncc08.htm
SEAK - MBA skills for physicians
http://www.seak.com/semncc08mbaskills.htm

Visit the author’s blog: http://mdjosephkim.blogspot.com/

Kaplan Announces New Step 2 CK Qbank!

Posted on May 14, 2008
Filed Under Medical Students | Leave a Comment

PRESS RELEASE

Kaplan’s NEW Step 2 CK Qbank is coming soon! Kaplan’s new and improved Step 2 CK Qbank will be available starting May 14th with important new features like a Score Estimator - able to predict your USMLE score based on your Qbank performance - and 500 never-before-seen exam-like questions created by Kaplan Medical’s expert faculty and reviewed by top-performing test takers.

Learn more about the important upgrades to Kaplan’s Qbank and see how you score on a Qbank Challenge at http://www.qbankchallenge.com/step2. You can lock in the low price of Qbank today – buy now and delay your start date up to 90 days!

Only on SDN - Enter to win Kaplan’s new Step 2 CK Qbank!
Kaplan is giving away a Step 2 CK Qbank to the first 100 SDN members. Check the Step 2 forum to learn how to win a FREE 3-month Step 2 CK Qbank!

Join the Ride for World Health!

Posted on May 9, 2008
Filed Under News | 1 Comment

Ride for World Health (R4WH) 2009 wants YOU!!!!
http://www.rideforworldhealth.org

Join us for a 3,700 mile bicycle journey that starts from San Diego and ends in Washington D.C. During the seven weeks, we’ll deliver lectures at colleges, elementary schools, medical schools, rotary clubs, and other locations to promote awareness of global health issues. Some topics we plan to cover include HIV/AIDS, poverty and medical disparities, and women’s health.

Since its inception, R4WH has currently raised over $260,000 to benefit Partners in Health, the Global Health Access Program, the Pendulum Project and Doctors without Borders.

The 2009 Ride for World Health (R4WH) is accepting applications for the following positions:

  1. 2009 Cross-Country Riders (April/May 2009 – Elective Credit available)
  2. 2009 R4WH Portion Riders (participate in shorter portions of ride)

Deadlines: Sunday, June 29th 2008 at 5pm – for cross-country rider
Sunday, March 1st 2009 at 5pm – for portion rider

Contact:
Jesson Yeh
Student Recruiter, R4WH
NYMC, class of 2009
Jesson_Yeh@nymc.edu

Do you have more questions?? Don’t hesitate to ask! Drop us a line at info@rideforworldhealth.com

Health Care Policy & The Student Doctor: Gary LeRoy, MD

Posted on May 7, 2008
Filed Under Health Care Policy & The Student Doctor | 8 Comments

SDN readers have responded favorably to our series of “20 Questions” asked of various health care professionals. With this interview of Dr. Gary LeRoy we launch a new series called “Health Care Policy and the Student Doctor”.

SDN: Gary, your resume is pretty awesome. You currently hold the position of Medical Director of the East Dayton Health Center, a community health center with federally qualified health center status; and you are simultaneously Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio.

Yours is a unique postion, with major responsibilities in a community health center serving the disadvantaged, and as the dean of students for a medical school, which will include lots of students from more privileged backgrounds.  Read more »

Just Sign on the Dotted Line…

Posted on May 3, 2008
Filed Under Medical (MD, DO) | 19 Comments

by Ivan Edwards, D.O., USAFR MC (CAPT)
SDN Staff Writer

The contract provisions couldn’t look any better:

But before signing the dotted line, take the contract home, read it carefully and understand it. Equally importantly, get to know the people behind it.

For many doctors soon to complete their residencies, one final round of interviewing is underway. This time, unlike prior interviews, it is an audition for your job post-residency, in your chosen profession. Finally! Read more »

Keep Your Online Persona Clean!

Posted on April 30, 2008
Filed Under Admissions Advice | 18 Comments

by Brittany Warrick
SDN Staff Writer

The online world has evolved substantially over the past decade. Today it is commonplace for students to have a presence on social sites such as Facebook, Xanga, LiveJournal, or MySpace. But what most students do not appreciate is the fact that potential employers and schools may use these sites to evaluate their applicants.  They use them to weed out candidates for their positions and to decide if a potential employee is the type of person that would make a good “fit”.  Thus, our pages on Facebook and MySpace have become additions to our resumes and personal statements. One survey conducted by ExecuNet in 2007 found that 83% of recruiters use the Internet to evaluate their candidates and 43% of those have turned down a candidate based on what they saw online. The burning question is: how can students protect their personas on the Internet?  Read more »

Pre-Med Preparation: Getting Letters of Recommendation

Posted on April 26, 2008
Filed Under Pre-Med Prep, Premedical Students, Medical (MD, DO) | 9 Comments

by Christian Becker, Author of The Official Student Doctor Network Medical School Admissions Guide

In my last article for SDN, I addressed the importance of physician shadowing and clinical experience. This time, I want to focus on recommendation letters.

Recommendation letters are used by admission committees and are part of your application. To get good letters, participation in extracurricular activities and positive interactions with faculty and physicians are important.

Admissions committees see on the application what activities you have listed, but recommendation letters tell them how you interact with people, what type of person you are, and (hopefully) stress your good qualities and support your application to medical school. Read more »

Why Study Medicine? Pre-meds not in it for the money, survey says

Posted on April 24, 2008
Filed Under Medical Students, Premedical Students, Medical (MD, DO) | 32 Comments

by Charles Daniel and Michael O’Brien
SDN Staff Writers

For some, the answer to the question, “Why do you want to study medicine?” is a simple one: to make money.  These individuals, however, are in a shrinking minority, a recent survey has found.  Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions examined the responses of 914 students in its medical and law school preparatory courses to examine their motivations for professional study.  It seems that even as the traditional financial windfalls associated with medicine continue to wane, students’ passion for medical study is as fiery as ever.  In fact, less than half of pre-med respondents indicated their future earning potential “very much” or “somewhat” influenced their decision to study medicine.  But what does this mean?  Pre-professional students are notorious for their exaggerated claims of altruism while the true and ulterior motivation remains the big salary.  …or at least that was the belief.  Read more »

Call for Submissions: U.S. Public Health Service Scientific & Training Symposium

Posted on April 16, 2008
Filed Under Medical (MD, DO) | 1 Comment

NEWS RELEASE

Students enrolled in a full-time health or health-related undergraduate or graduate course of study are invited to submit a poster presentation for the 2008 U.S. Public Health Service Scientific and Training Symposium. The conference will be held June 9-12 at the Tucson Convention Center. More than 1,000 public health administrators, providers, clinicians, professors and representatives from business employing public health professionals are expected to attend. This is an excellent opportunity to obtain experience presenting and to network with others in the field. Read more »

SDN Announces First docLive Chat — Harry Rosen, MD

Posted on April 14, 2008
Filed Under Medical Students, Medical (MD, DO) | Leave a Comment

Press Release

In our first docLive chat, Dr. Harry Rosen, author of The Consult Manual of Internal Medicine, will lead a live discussion wherein he will answer your questions about surviving 3rd year medicine clerkships. During this Sunday, April 20th session, participants will be able to ask Dr. Rosen their questions and receive real-time responses.

The chat session will take place at 8:00pm Eastern Time on SDnet, the SDN Chat Server. A temporary link to the docLive web client will appear in the Clinical Rotations forum at 7:30pm ET. For those wishing to use their own chat client, simply point it to irc.studentdoctor.net:6667 and join #doclive.

Please post in this SDN Forums thread to indicate your plans to attend, as space is limited. Come meet Dr. Rosen and walk away with strategies to make your Medicine rotations go much more smoothly!

keep looking »

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