I am planning on leaving clinical practice as an OB/GYN in the next 3-4 months to pursue an MBA and enter the medical communications field. While in school, I need to make a little $. Does anyone have leads on work from home medical writing jobs, or part time work? I'm also looking on the AMWA site.

lkk

May I ask why you want to get out of OB/GYN? I'm sure this is a loaded question, but thought I would ask it anyway. OB/GYN is one of the fields I am most interested in, and I always figured that if OB was too difficult to schedule in with a normal life, I could always cut down to just GYN, and I would have a great life still doing a lot of cool stuff.
Am I missing something?

lkk, have you joined the nonclinical careers forum here? It is a private group for practicing MDs so if you contact the administrator you can get access. I have been meaning to do this for a while, just too busy with work at the moment (incidentally, I am also an OB/GYN looking to get out of this field as well).

Reluctantmd:

Yes, i've joined the noclinical careers forum. How long have you been practicing?? I've been out 2 years. What are you thinking about transitioning into?
lkk

premed99:

I don't want to discourage you, but i've found the realities of private practice are not what I had imagined in med school/residency. Please research and talk to several practicing OB/GYNs before you decide. It is very difficult to do just GYN only if you do not already have an established patient base.

lkk

lkk, sounds like we are in similar situations...I am also out 2 years. I enjoy surgery and am considering a fellowship but do not want to do obstetrics in any capacity at all anymore. Your plan for an MBA and medical informatics is great, and timely for sure. I should join the nonclinical careers forum to see what is out there.

I too am out 2 years, in OBGYN and want out so badly! LKK and reluctantmd I wish we had known so we could have commiserated along the way!

I am going to consider a second residency. Options are limited since I am pretty settled as far as location. But, I CAN'T do this for 35 more years...

Would any of you be willing to share details on what is making you miserable in OB/GYN? That is the field I am quite certain I am going to rank, and as a military scholarship person - I have to turn in my rank list before I get to do my aways, and I've already precepted in OB/GYN, so I know the field day-to-days...I guess I just want to hear what is making you want to leave, so I don't make a huge mistake. Feel free to private message me - I'd love it, but I am starting to get worried seeing your responses here!

Thank you and good luck in your future pursuits.

to lkk and becco, it is good to know that we are not alone in our sentiments about our chosen path in medicine...while frustrated at trying to get out, it helps to know there are some of us out there who know what each other is dealing with. Are either of you getting any closer to figuring out what the future will bring? Becco, I am also considering a second residency if fellowship doesn't work out.

southernmd, in regards to your question, while I cannot speak for lkk and becco, for me, the day-to-day realities of taking care of all the aspects that ob/gyn covers does not interest me. It wasn't until I was out into private practice that I began to feel this way; I loved residency. Residency, however, is not like real life in many respects. Many people who have chosen ob/gyn really love it so I wouldn't let the current discussion discourage you if it is something you want to do.

lkk:
Returning to your original mention of a career in medical communications... that's what I do full time (I just posted a blog on the alternative careers site) and I love it. One of my partners finished a residency in OB, practiced 1 year, and is now a medical writer. I practiced emergency medicine for 13 years before some health issues made it impossible to continue in that field. I miss it like crazy, but find my new career very intellectually challenging and far more flexible than clinical practice. Starting out as a part time freelance would be somewhat challenging (in terms of finding work). Even small jobs become short, but full time projects due to the crazy deadlines that inevitably accompany the project. Do you have any writing or editing background?

Tami:

Of course, like all of us, I wrote papers in med school and residency. I am leaving my practice in January to pursue an online physician MBA program, and am looking for a way to bring in some money working part time. Do you have any helpful hints? Once I finish, my goal is to find a position in the medical communications field. Are you a medical writer too? How did you transition from ER into your currrent position?

lkk