SEAK faculty member who spent many years working as a Medical Director for industry answers the question: What advice would you give to doctors who are considering leaving the practice of clinical medicine?
I’m empathetic with, probably, the struggle that they may be going through. I want to tell them that there’s a bright exciting world outside of clinical medicine, but I really believe that they have to do a self inventory. They have to understand why they are not happy with what they are doing now and they also have to have a game plan, I believe, in what they think they would like to do. It’s ok not to have all the answers, but they have to understand at a conscious level, why they are unhappy. If there’s anything within their clinical practice that they can refrain or correct I would recommend them doing so before they take a leap. But, if they make the decision all I can say is come on board. It’s been a very rewarding career that I’ve had ever since I left clinical medicine.