I am yet another "desperate" doctor seeking nonclinical work. I could write an entire book about why (hey, an idea!). I've been searching on this site for over a year. I've also read the 2 AMA books available on the subject, but haven't found any practical info in them, only pages of statistics on how many unhappy dr's there are. I've also come across websites for consultants that specialize in this, but they're all so expensive. I cant afford a 3-day, $1000-plus course or $300/hr to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
I'm a 37 yo mom to a 1 yr old and 3 yr old. I'm now 5 years out of Family Practice residency, and currently working 20 hrs/week in Urgent Care. I'm interested in communications/IT- I've always liked editing and managing, and I've been looking into medical director positions. Work-at-home consulting or advising would also be nice. However, I don't even know where to start, since like many other doctors, I only have experience in "doctoring". I do have a BA in Anthropology and minored in creative writing. I've sent out CV's but no one has ever bothered to get back to me, not even in the form of a rejection. I can't really afford to waste much time, since my family's net worth right now is NEGATIVE $150,000 thanks to my student loans. My husband, unfortunately, is unable to help financially. He is trained as a film developer/photographer, and now with 10 megapixel digitals out, no one needs that anymore. He looked for work and couldn't find a single job that would pay him enough to even cover the daycare for 2 kids. So now he's a SAHD, even though I make 90% of the childcare decisions and do 90% of the cleaning, etc. but that's a whole OTHER story. :banghead:
Maybe I really do need one of those "career counselors", but since I'm in debt, I'd really like to know I'd be getting somewhere by spending all that money. Has anyone had any experience with this?

I'm SO sorry for the long rant, but this is my first post after a long time lurking and I guess I needed to get it all out. :p
Thanks,
Sue

I guess it all depends on why you are unhappy in your current situation. Is it the patient care, the practice environment, or the fact that you are overburdened in general? If it's the first reason, then definitely do some soul-searching and find out what kind of work you would like and work toward that (a career counselor might cost less than you think -- $125/hr where I live). But if it's one of the other reasons, maybe it is fixable without changing careers. There may be other places to work as a doctor, and there may be other ways to get things done at home...even if you have to pay someone to do it!

I've been reading all of these forums and just amazed at how similar our issues are with clinical medicine! I too am looking for another occupational path, and have had really no luck finding something that would allow me to use my knowledge and be as financially rewarding as medicine, but with more flexibility.
Here are some of my ideas so far. Maybe one will resonate with you...
online teaching
teaching courses at local Jr college, tech schools, nursing schools, etc...
health department work
school/college physician
writing test questions

Good luck to you!

I have thought of some of these, but for the most part it seems like most of these positions are either part time (ie, writing questions in your spare time) for physicians who already have full-time jobs, or taken by nurses or nurse-practioners (school or college health centers). I'm pretty sure at this point that I just don't like practicing medicine. I wish I could just "chin up" and be more selfless for my children, and take a regular full time medicine job. I mean, how many people really LIKE work?The problem is, I'm realizing the possibility that I just CAN'T. Even part-time, I come home emotionally spent, and worried that I'm actually doing a disservice to my patients with my less-than-enthusiastic approach. ("you came for an antibiotic? Fine, here ya go, mess yourself up").
I would love a job where I could use my medical knowledge (and therefore get PAID for it and be able to afford gas in my car). I'm thinking more along the lines of advertising, public relations, patient education, even in the name of drug companies, etc. Something flexible also. It just seems like seeing patients right now is the only thing that can give the most bang for the buck as far as time goes, as in the future I'd like to be able to pick my kids up from school and maybe spend a couple of afternoons with them. This makes me so depressed, it's a vicious cycle. It's comforting to know that there are others of you all out there in the same boat, but then again, I wish there were more of us with success stories. Maybe the ones who have successfully left clinical medicine and now have their high-paying "dream careers" don't visit MomMD anymore? Where are they? I'd like to think they're out there somewhere and could least provide a little candle in the window to aim for.
:grouphug:

This is crazy! I want to do something! Is there no way that we can change things??
I've read a million of these posts and it's always the same thing. For 5 years now (since intern year) I've been trying to find the answers, I've read all the web sites, bought all the books, and .... nothing. I have a real job now, and I hate it, just like everyone else seems to. I hate the insurance/billing/coding stuff, the unreasonable patient expectations, abusive patients, and pay that frankly is way too freakin' low for what we owe and what we go through, in medical school, in residency, and every single day (and night, and weekend). Today someone said "Since you're a doctor, and have more money than God..."!!!!! I quite nearly had a CVA on the spot. That's just it-before med school 90% of us had no clue that the debt is not easy to repay and that it permanantely ties to you a job choice no matter what happens to you. I think it's a complete sandbagging job by the medical profession to not have full "informed consent" about what you're about to do to yourself and your loved ones.
I feel like things have to change-is it really impossible? If we're all so miserable and know that our jobs suck is there no way to fight and get back the jobs we thought we'd be getting? I'm thinking of starting a revolt.

Once my husband gets a better paying job, I plan on quitting. I would like to stay home with the kids as I already do all the kid related stuff when I am home. I might as well do it full time and not part time with a full time job.

However the 160K loan repayment won't go away by itself. Stuck in job until husband makes more money.

I actually don't hate the job, I am a pediatrician, just hate missing the kids and not being there for them.

mdhcwhid777---Your reply really stuck with me.

Why can't we find a way to fix this? How do we break this cycle for future doctors? I think the situation is just so complex. So many great doctors are leaving for the reasons you stated. But then I read the rose colored glasses---blind and somewhat naive posts from the premeds here and just want to cry. Why don't they read what we are posting and take it seriously? I feel like they are being suckered into a longterm financial and stressful career nightmare.

I don't want ot interrupt the tone of the last couple of posts (yes there is a bigger problem out there!) I want ed to throw out my 2 cents for nagesmomdrsuz on options... I was recently part of a thread here about similar issues-- moms interested in getting out of clinical medicine, etc.-- and got some good ideas-- try checking online for CROs-- clinical research organizations, many pharmaceutical companies-- good compensation, benefits, better hours than much lcinical work (though at 20 hrs/week, maybe not better than that). You mentioned consulting-- I found some work in my area (Pacific NW) lookig on several career websites (maybe even monster.com, I cannot recall now!) but a warning on that: often the hours are not so flexible, rarely part-time, and there can be travel involved in the work! no direct patient-contact but... Also, if you're interested in more debt (hah!) you could try an executive MHA program (or similar) and then you are very marketable for many non-patient jobs... depending on your debt, that might be a drop in the bucket or it might be a ridiculous idea. Depending on your geographical locale, there are many biotech jobs avail for MDs. Many of these non-pt jobs seem to start you out at a "lower" position pay- and responsibility- wise and then fairly quickly (over 1-3 yrs) move you up. not the best news, but good to know, I think! I wish you well!

I am a very independent-natured woman, so after starting 2 practices, and then needing more family time, I became a freelance medical writer, learned a bit of general IT, SEO and web design, and started writing business proposals on Elance and Odesk, as there was virtually no competition, especially for holistic and alternative medicine. I write about 4 hours daily. I am a slow typist or my earnings would pretty decent for part-time. I write when it fits my schedule daily, and I love being my own boss.

Devi

I've been EXACTLY where you are for the last 8 years. I've been working with a career counselor in person and on the phone for almost that whole time and have found them really helpful. The most recent one I used was completely phone based and she charged on a sliding scale so I paid about $115.00 per session.

I went back to school a couple years ago to get an MPH. No real passion for public health, but I thought it was at least related and it was the closest thing to anything I found interesting. I was doing environmental and occupational health because I'm really interested in design and how it effects our health.

Well, I realized last semester that I was really bored and did not want to make the same mistake again of going into something I really didn't enjoy. So, I put the MPH on leave of abscence (don't want to burn any bridges yet), and started an interior design masters program, and I love it. The biggest adjustment I'm having to make is to stop worrying about high-paying positions. It's cliche, but money really isn't everything (at least I hope), plus I ain't makin' any money now. I practice gyn-only in my own practice and I'm getting ready to drop surgery/hospital because I pay more in malpractice to do it than I make doing it. I've applied for a loan modification on my house and may even consider bankruptcy, but I'm determined the rest of my life will be on my terms and not on the hospitals/colleagues/patients, etc.

Now, I don't have a husband or children, so that makes my challenges a bit different, but we all have them. Am I scared? Absolutely. But I've realized I have to be scared and do it anyway, because the way I've been living is definitely not working.