If you’re burnt out from Covid and contemplating exploring nonclinical options, this book is for you. 50 Nonclinical Careers for Physicians is full of information on finding fulfilling, meaningful, and lucrative alternatives to direct patient care.
Dr. Sylvie Stacy wrote a much more comprehensive, and up-to-date book than this book review I did here. Physicians in Transition was a dated compilation of twenty-five interviews with physicians who quit clinical medicine and explored other ventures as ways to not only make money, but find more fulfilling careers.
The nonclinical careers explored in Dr. Stacy’s book were vast. They included so many areas I am positive there’s something in this book to interest most doctors: administrative roles, performance improvement, health care financing, managed care, biotech, pharmaceutical job, tech, finance sectors, writing and communication, public health and government, education and research, non-profits, and consumer health.
There was also a fascinating bonus section about entrepreneurship and consulting, which would be of interest to a growing number of doctors these days. (Or so it would seem, judging from all the chatter I see in our private facebook groups, which, if you haven’t found them already, I’d highly recommend asking around and joining.)
DH (aka: Dear Husband) looked this book over and was also impressed. His only criticism was that the book seemed more for full-time physicians and didn’t pertain as much to FIRE doctors who would prefer to work part-time.
I still say it’s a beneficial book for your bookshelf as it’s full of a variety of information all in one place you can mull over and explore. And I will reiterate what Dr. Stacy so astutely pointed out in her book: don’t quit clinical medicine without a plan. Explore and iterate your proposed future career choice first.
In other words, don’t just quit because you’re Burnt Out. You got this.
(To the readers reaching out to ask if everything is okay: it is. Just coming out of early retirement to join the front lines, on top of being married to another front line doctor, has thrown me for a loop. I’m also in an intense, two-and-a-half-year writing program that’s sucking up a lot of my time. But, slowly, I’m starting to dig back to “normal” life—whatever that looks like these days. Thanks for your concern.)