This is a list that I wish I had a few years ago when I started my journey outside of clinical medicine! I’ve tried to put everything down but this list is anything but exhaustive. In case you are looking around, you can get in touch with me (rohaniandsouza@gmail.com) and I will do my best to find something that would suit you and put you in touch with people who could help you give you better advise/take it forward/find you a job or an internship!
The wide plethora of career options are divided into two broad aspects: Within healthcare and Beyond healthcare.
The former is one I have seen a lot more of than the latter. Healthcare is so much more than clinical medicine, and I hope to demonstrate that here. With each profile, I have attached a link to a tribute story to inspire you to go conquer the world. I promise this list will be ever-changing as I keep meeting more and more inspirational people! Click on any of the professions to read on and be inspired.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Technology: These 2 industries have a plethora of different options for healthcare professionals. I’ve scratched the surface here.
- Medical Advisor (No you don’t always need an MD Pharmacology)
- Others: Marketing, Research and Development, Regulatory/Safety, Medical writer etc.
- Fellowships in Medical Technology: School of International BioDesign
Digital Health is a wave that’s been growing exponentially of late and here are a couple of experts who have caught it.
- Digital health Expert
- Artificial Intelligence Expert
- Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality
- Redefining Health Technology
Google’s parent company Alphabet has companies that are literally redefining how we think about healthcare with Calico, Verily, Verb and DeepMind!
Consulting: Consulting is another extremely lucrative career. Companies such as McKinsey, BCG, Ernst & Young and PwC hire doctors as healthcare consultants to work with hospital administrators, pharma, medical technology and device companies etc.
Entrepreneurship: Pharmeasy (Online pharmacy), Unacademy (e-learning), CloudPhysician (Tele-ICU)
Venture Capital & Investment: Bringing together the money and brains to disrupt healthcare. Money, brains and swag make the world go round.
Public Health: There are plenty of opportunities in India or globally in public health which is meant for those trying to make the world a healthier place! If you’re a blue sky thinker you can change an entire ecosystem like Dr Raj Punjabi.
Global Health Professional: Looking at healthcare through a different lens to improve access and quality of healthcare.
Medical Litigation: Medico-legal cases are coming to the developing world, learn to embrace it as this expert did
Bioinformatics: The love child of clinical medicine and data
Public Policy: Some are convinced that they want to go into the executive wing of Government as IAS officers but if you want to merely explore policy and the options available or just try and better understand how governance works these are really interesting programs too: LAMP Fellowship, Policy in Action Program
Real World Research Trials: New forms of research in the digital age are also opening up a world of opportunities.
Medical Manuscript Writing: Medical Writing has become popular of late and companies such as Cactus and Apcer hire doctors who have a penchant for scientific writing.
Medical Journalism: An up and coming sector within journalism. If you’ve got a knack for writing this may interest you. There are numerous courses available across the world too.
Healthcare UI/UX expert: In-demand, upcoming and exciting! Building the bridge between healthcare professionals and software.
Insurance: To do or not do that is the question. Not for the faint-hearted.
Hospital Administration: Build an empire as this man did, or manage a healthcare centre, the choice is yours
Nanotechnology: Explore the latest advances science and technology have to offer at institutes across India as he did.
Alternative realities in healthcare: Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality
Medical Illustrator: For the gifted ones, unlike myself, who can draw
Interesting concepts within Medicine you may not have explored:
- Space Health
- Travel Medicine
- Adventure Medicine
- Sports Medicine
- Event Medicine
- MD in Medical Technology
- Crisis Medicine
- Narrative Medicine
- Translational Medicine
- Rural Medicine & Surgery
BEYOND HEALTHCARE
Model: Manushi Chillar
Fashion Entrepreneur: Dress for the job you want not the job you have
Show Biz: What do the director of Mad Max Fury Road and Chang from Hangover have in common? That’s right, medical degrees! Ken Jeong (Hangover), Mad Max Fury Road Director, All the worlds a stage and some doctors grace it with their presence or sing their way to the top
World Bank President: Enough said. Another one of us.
Author: Atul Gawande , Siddharta Mukerjee to name a few
Footballer: For those fanatics like me, I can see your eyes light up!
Stand up comedian: Tickling and fixing your funny bone
Wonder Woman: I’m not even kidding….
If you have anything else you would like me to research or include. Put it in the comments below!
Click here to read the III part series on how I quit medicine
Searching for your purpose in life
How to find your new job outside the clinic
Doctorness 
Hi Rohan,
I’m happy to know there are health professionals out there who feel limited by medicine.
I’m a dentist,and clinical practice never attracted me. Right out of graduation,I started working with a telemedicine and affordable health company called Glocal Healthcare,after which I moved in as the Business Development Head at a Digital health startup called VPS. I plan to study Business Analytics in the States in 2020. I feel data is the future and I’d ike to know your opinion on it.
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Hi Chirag, that sounds like a very interesting career path! It’s good to see healthcare professionals take the path less travelled! Sure drop me an email on rohaniandsouza@gmail.com, and we’ll set up a time to catch up.
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