Alternative careers options for doctors
Resources for medics who are considering
alternative careers.
Further resources
There are two further websites with resources for alternative
careers for doctors:
- Health Education's London LETB runs a website
Beyond Clinical
Practice which gives an overview of some of the options that
you may want to consider if contemplating a career outside of
medicine.
- Medical Success is a website which
also helps doctors who are considering careers beyond the hospital
or the GP's surgery.
Acute Trust Adviser:
The role of an Acute Trust adviser includes
liaising with the PCT and Practiced Based Commissioning (PBC)
groups to support Trusts in maintaining their business with the
area. It is not for everyone, as it is not a clinical role but
promotions can lead to management. For more information contact the
Medical Director of the hospital trust.
Alternative and Complementary Medicine:
Complementary medicine refers to ‘alternative
treatments’ that run alongside conventional healthcare (to
"complement") each other. For example:
herbal medicine, acupuncture, naturopathy, Reiki natural healing
etc.
For more information please visit the
following websites:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/319/7211/693 (free
for registered users)
Aviation Medicine:
Aviation medicine (AM) is a branch of
occupational medicine, and is the medical specialty concerned with
the relationship between the aviation environment and human
physiology, psychology and pathology. Main duties include assessing
the fitness and health of pilots and crew to fly.
For more information please visit the
following website:
careers.bmj.com
Benefits work (Medical Adviser)
Doctors employed by ATOS Healthcare provide
advice and file work on Incapacity Benefit (IB) and Disability
Living Allowance, IB examinations, industrial injury claims and war
pensions work, in addition to management support activities.
For more information please visit the
following website:
http://www.atoshealthcare.com/
Civil Service:
There is a diverse range of roles
available in the Civil Service including:
Department of Health, Ministry of Defence, Medicines and Healthcare
Products Regulatory Agency. Vacancies are advertised through the
Civil Service website, job centres, local and national papers and
trade journals.
For more information please visit our page on the Civil
Service.
Clinical forensic medical examiner:
Forensic medical examiners, who deal with the
living and forensic pathologists, who deal with the dead, are
qualified medical practitioners who, having completed their
training as doctors, choose to specialise in either field.
For more information please visit the
following websites:
http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/
http://www.forensic-science-society.org.uk/
Coroner:
You need to have had 5 years post-qualifying experience as a
doctor. There are some recommendations on the Coroner's
Society website about how to go about finding work as a
coroner. You can first get an appointment as a deputy or assistant
deputy coroner and that these jobs are advertised nationally and
locally, but that it may be an idea to approach each coroner
individually and he or she will then let you know if there are any
vacancies.
Also see the following case-study.
Crowd Doctor
Crowd doctors are from diverse medical backgrounds and they
provide medical cover to spectators of events in stadiums across
the country.
See the following case-study: http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/view-article.html?id=819
Dive Medicine:
The main responsibility for dive doctors is
the health and safety of the expedition team. They need to know how
to treat decompression sickness and other diving injuries. Other
duties include: risk assessments, writing casualty evacuation
protocols, preparing medical kits, and doing medicals before
departure.
For more information please visit the
following websites:
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/
http://www.uksdmc.co.uk/
Expedition medicine:
Expedition Medical Officers have to be
competent in treating the accepted conditions associated with
adventure travel, and the problems encountered by people with
chronic illness in the same environment. They have to be able to
anticipate and prepare for potential dangers, for example RTAs,
accidents, altitude, gastroenteritis and infections.
Pre-expedition planning is probably the busiest period for the
medical officer, making preparations to avoid or be ready for
events in the field. During the expedition, medical officers are
often alone without the diagnostic tools they have come to rely
upon. Diagnosis is mainly based upon clinical skills. They are
responsible for those who become ill and arranging for evacuations
in emergencies.
For more detailed information please visit our
page on Expedition medicine.
Forensic Psychiatry:
Forensic psychiatrists are involved in the
assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of mentally disordered
offenders. It is a medico-legal specialty providing an interface
between psychiatry and the criminal justice system. They can work
in a number of settings including low secure community units,
regional medium secure units, or one of the UK’s four high security
hospitals. Duties will vary but are likely to include inpatient
care, prison visits and outpatient work. Areas within forensic
psychiatry include: child and adolescent psychiatry and
forensic learning disability*
For more information please visit the
following websites:
Royal College of Psychiatrists: http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/
HM Prison Service: http://www.justice.gov.uk/jobs/prisons
MENCAP: http://mencap.org.uk
Management Consultancy:
The role of a management consultant is to
provide advice to businesses helping them to solve problems and
find solutions. Work is project based, and so varies hugely,
depending on the project and the client. Consultants are
essentially high skilled problem solvers. Academic ability,
teamwork, multi-tasking & analytical skills are important. They
oversee projects and typically work 70-80 hours a week.
For more information please visit the
following websites:
http://www.doctorscareerchoices.com/Management_Consulting.php
Prospects article on management consultancy
Ship’s doctors deal with a range of things and
each day is different. Large ships, for example cruise liners,
often have wards, theatres and intensive care units and employ a
range of medical staff. When on-board, doctors are usually on-call
24 hours a day. Doctors will often need training in protocols and
using the computer systems on-board the ship.
For more information please visit the following website:
http://www.oceanopportunities.com/medical/
Medical Advisers (DVLA):
16 doctors are employed in the Drivers Medical
Group at the DVLA in Swansea. Their duties include working
alongside medical advisory panels and research groups in the
UK to set and apply the medical standards for driver licensing in
the UK. Much of the work involves individual case assessment, for
example routine and unusual medical cases. Some medical advise on
policy and legislative decisions.
For more information please visit the
following websites:
http://www.dvla.gov.uk/
http://www.dsa.gov.uk/
Medical Communications:
Working in medical communications can involve
writing protocols, clinical trials reports, conference materials,
marketing literature, primary papers, reviews, training and
advertising materials. The skills required include excellent
communication skills, subject knowledge, editorial judgement,
excellent research skills and commericial awareness.
For more information please visit the following
websites:
http://www.emwa.org/
http://www.absw.org.uk/
http://www.pharmweb.net/pwmirror/pwb/detail/pharmwebb_mca.html
http://www.medcommsnetworking.co.uk/startingout/
Medical Education:
Medical education ranges from educating the
public to supporting medical students and trainees. Most
work for Primary Care Trusts. Experience in public health is
useful. There is little front line contact with patients. Teaching
experience is vital.
For more information please visit our page on
medical education.
Medical Journalism:
Medical journalists are responsible for
writing articles for newspapers and magazines. Many practise
journalism as an addition to clinical work. There are various
journalism qualifications available which can be useful to help
develop writing styles. Journalism remains a very competitive area
to get into, so it is desirable for applicants to have some kind of
relevant experience.
For more detailed information please
visit our page on medical
journalism.
Medical Law:
Two groups of practising lawyers exist:
solicitors and barristers. There are more practising solicitors
than there are barristers. Although both areas are highly
competitive, a career in law can be very professionally satisfying,
drawing on the same high level intellectual capabilities as
medicine. It can be very expensive to train in law, but sometimes
there is funding available. Those with an interest in law can use
this alongside a postgraduate qualification in pursuing a
medico-legal subspecialty. This might include working in clinical
areas like forensic pathology, or within medical ethics, or in a
medical advisor role within law firms or other organisations. Those
with a medical degree can undertake a postgraduate diploma
conversion course: Common Professional Examination (CPE) or the
Graduate Diploma in Law (GDP).
For more detailed information please visit our page on
Law.
Medical Legal Advisers:
Medical legal advisers (MLAs) manage a
caseload in an area of their expertise. They have a wide range of
clinical backgrounds and are all expected to complete a relevant
post graduate qualification. Cases are managed jointly by a medical
legal adviser and a specialist solicitor. MLAs may also be present
at trials and sometimes run workshops, lecture and write articles.
Full registration with the GMC is required.
For more information please visit the
following websites:
http://www.medicalprotection.org.uk/
http://www.the-mdu.com/
Medical Managers:
Managers within the NHS are responsible for
large numbers of staff, and run services or departments within
tight budgets. Managers with a clinical background tend to bring
credibility and practical experience to the role.
For further information please visit our page
on NHS Management.
Medical Photographers:
Medical photographers provide a wide range of
photographic services to staff working in the medical field. They
use photography and sometimes video for:
- Patient care - taking photographs of patients to help
diagnosis, and to track and record treatment.
- General information and marketing - taking photographs for
publications such as hospital newsletters and annual reports.
Medical photographers work closely with other
healthcare professionals. Much of their work involves contact with
patients. Most entrants to medical photography have an HND,
foundation degree or degree in photography, illustration, graphic
design or video production. Applicants to courses are expected to
have a portfolio of their photography, art or design work.
For more information please visit the following websites:
http://www.imi.org.uk/
http://www.bipp.com/
Medical Politics:
Typical work activities for doctors working in
medical politics include strategy development, medical ethics, work
with medical defence unions, research, risk management, attending
and presenting at conferences and also still maintaining a clinical
career.
For more information please visit our page on medical politics.
Medical Relief work:
Medical relief doctors help people during
emergencies. They work in the world’s most difficult and dangerous
environments. They stay in place until lasting healthcare services
are rebuilt (after a disaster). Their work can also include helping
to prevent disease and educating people.
For more information please visit our page on working in undeveloped countries and the
trauma register.
For more information please visit the following website:
http://www.merlin.org.uk/
Medical Research:
Medical researchers are employed in industry, academia, research
institutes, medical research charities and hospital labs. Through
planning and conducting experiments and analysing results
researchers strive to learn more about the human body. This can
result in new drug development or improvements in medically-related
products. Within academia, many researchers in post-doctoral
positions work on short-term contracts: obtaining permanent
academic positions can be difficult. Outside academia, industry and
medical charities rely on generating funding and can be results
driven.
For more information, please visit our
medical research page.
Medical Sales:
Medical sales representatives act as a link
between the pharmaceutical industry and health care professionals.
They are usually based in a specific area and will specialise in a
particular area. They meet with clients, discuss their needs etc
and provide an after-sales service.
For more information please visit the following websites:
http://www.abpi.org.uk/
http://www.ismm.co.uk/
Occupational Medicine:
A doctor’s principal role in occupational
medicine is the provision of health advice to organisations and
individuals to ensure that high standards of health and safety at
work can be achieved and maintained. Doctors in this field help to
prevent injuries at work and support people back into work if they
have had an injury.
For more information visit our occupational medicine pages.
Also visit these websites:
http://www.facoccmed.ac.uk/
https://www.som.org.uk/
Pharmaceutical Medicine:
Pharmaceutical medicine became a recognised
specialty in 2002. There are many roles available for doctors
including, clinical pharmacology, clinical development, medical
marketing, drug safety, regulatory affairs, health outcomes.
Doctors often have tight deadlines to meet and International travel
is quiet frequent. It’s quite a competitive area to get into.
For more information please visit the our page on pharmaceutical medicine.
Prison Healthcare:
For more information please visit our page on the prison health service.
Sports and Exercise Medicine:
There are a few NHS consultant posts in sports
and exercise medicine (SEM), but most are in the private sector.
The best way to get into SEM is to have an interest in sports
activities. There are also diplomas or MSc courses in SEM. There
are a wide range of jobs available in SEM including team doctors,
triathlon and marathon medicine, general practitioners with a
specialist interest, teaching and research.
Visit the specialty pages on Sport and Exercise Medicine.
For more information please visit the following website:
http://www.basem.co.uk/
Space Medicine:
Doctors in space medicine are concerned with
the effect of microgravity on the human body and how gravity has
multi-system impact. The work often involves a lot of research and
is a very specialist area.
For more information please visit the following website:
http://www.careers.bmj.com/
Voluntary Work:
There are many opportunities for qualified to
doctors to work overseas on a voluntary basis.
For more information please visit the following website:
http://www.vso.org.uk/