Not all physicians have a desire to use their knowledge and skills in the patient care setting. For such physicians, there are various nonclinical opportunities, according to Heidi Moawad, MD, a neurologist and adjunct professor at John Carroll University in Cleveland.
Dr. Moawad recently outlined the best non-clinical jobs for physicians in MD Magazine.
1. Hospital administration. It is not as uncommon as it used to be to see physicians serving in hospital administration, as they have clinical expertise to contribute to leadership. Physicians hold positions such as CEO, administrator, clinical director, compliance officer and program director.
2. Pharmaceutical research and development. Medical researchers work to develop new pharmaceutical products and improve existing products. Often, there are physicians on the teams that carry out all of the stages of development, according to Dr. Moawad.
3. Health insurance medical director. A health insurance medical director could also be an option for physicians, as these directors typically oversee the guidelines for various payer reimbursement and contract issues, according to Dr. Moawad. In this role, they may be expected to directly communicate with health systems, with hospitals and physician offices, to prepare reports for the payers, or to make and review coverage decisions, she added.
4, Health IT. Dr. Moawad notes that hospitals and health systems are moving toward adoption of EMR systems, which can be a complex task. “Physicians who work in healthcare informatics provide the link between the programming capabilities of the software and the logistical needs of patient care privacy, documentation, records, orders and communication,” she writes.
5. Healthcare business analyst. Physicians may also want to work at investment corporations that make decisions about healthcare centered investments based on financial criteria, according to Dr. Moawad. In these roles, she writes, they may provide analytical reports and evaluating the scientific data regarding the products that are being considered as possible investments.
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