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Leaving medicine - job options

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  • 10-01-2019 2:50pm
    #1
    thomasdylan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 514 ✭✭✭


    Hi all, Im thinking of leaving clinical medicine. I've been working for a good few years in hospital and while I enjoy at times I'm feeling more and more worn down. Its getting busier and busier every year and there is no room for error at all. Has anyone any recommendations for any jobs that are available for someone in my position? I'm reluctant to go back to college at 30 which I imagine limits me and while I'm paid reasonably well I do work very hard for it.


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    #2
    zl1whqvjs75cdy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,042 ✭✭✭zl1whqvjs75cdy


    A lot of the pharma companies look for clinical trial managers that have clinical experience?


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    #3
    Avatar MIA
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,750 ✭✭✭Avatar MIA


    Can you afford a career break? You may just need to recharge your batteries.


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    #4
    Vorsprung
    Registered Users Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭Vorsprung


    Move abroad?
    Pharma as mentioned above?
    State agencies eg HPRA (I know a couple of people who've moved into there)?
    Teaching for a year (did this myself when I was getting a bit burned out)?


  • Options
    #5
    boxer.fan
    Registered Users Posts: 748 ✭✭✭boxer.fan


    Public Health
    Occupational Health
    Out of hours locum
    Lecturing
    Drug rep
    Re-train a different specialty
    Medical management


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    #6
    Dev1234
    Registered Users Posts: 150 ✭✭Dev1234


    Another area would be complaint handing for a medical device company.

    Companies are required to report complaints relating to their devices to the FDA and other competent authorities. In instances where a death has occurred medical device companies require a health care professional to determine if the death was caused by their device or if it was due to a pre-existing condition.

    Complaint specialists need to have a knowledge of anatomy and physiology as well as an understanding of the procedure that the device is used in to determine what happened and why a complaint was made.


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    #7
    Dingle_berry
    Registered Users Posts: 885 ✭✭✭Dingle_berry


    If it's the pace of clinical practice have you considered the less clinical specialities? Public Health, Epidemiology, Pathology, Occ Health, etc


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    #8
    AndrewJRenko
    Registered Users Posts: 28,362 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    Dev1234 wrote: »
    Another area would be complaint handing for a medical device company.
    Or sales or marketing, if you have the personality for it. Or training. Company car and regular hours.


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    #9
    thomasdylan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 514 ✭✭✭thomasdylan


    Thanks for the suggestions everyone!


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    #10
    NSAman
    Registered Users Posts: 3,386 ✭✭✭NSAman


    May be left field... how about using your considerable skills internationally.

    I know many NGO's are crying out for Doctors in various parts of the world.

    Take it from someone who was burnt out long ago and participated in NGOland for a number of years... it is amazing where it can lead to...


  • Options
    #11
    Ardillaun
    Registered Users Posts: 2,535 ✭✭✭Ardillaun


    thomasdylan wrote: »
    Hi all, Im thinking of leaving clinical medicine. I've been working for a good few years in hospital and while I enjoy at times I'm feeling more and more worn down. Its getting busier and busier every year and there is no room for error at all. Has anyone any recommendations for any jobs that are available for someone in my position? I'm reluctant to go back to college at 30 which I imagine limits me and while I'm paid reasonably well I do work very hard for it.

    You’re not alone. Perhaps go part-time for a while and really think about whether there are any specialties you’d like to pursue before packing in clinical medicine entirely. You worked hard to get where you are. A friend of mine in Canada switched from pathology to psychiatry in her fifties so you’ve plenty of time yet! I would get a job with shifts and more limited call and responsibilities until the road ahead got clearer. Think about opportunities in other countries as well where there may be more flexibility around working hours and contracts. If you thrive on positive feedback, forget about pathology. As mentioned, rehab medicine and public health are worth looking into and there are some areas of psychiatry that might suit.


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    #12
    brendanwalsh
    Registered Users Posts: 988 ✭✭✭brendanwalsh


    Psych, pathology, public health, microbiology are all nine to 5 specialties.
    You could always do gp scheme and be a locum.
    Or do locum SHO/registrar and work half the weeks of the year while still making a full years salary.

    Do a sports medicine masters maybe ? You might link in with a sports team that way if you are that way inclined.


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    #13
    Dingle_berry
    Registered Users Posts: 885 ✭✭✭Dingle_berry


    brendanwalsh wrote: »
    Psych, pathology, public health, microbiology are all nine to 5 specialties.
    You could always do gp scheme and be a locum.
    Or do locum SHO/registrar and work half the weeks of the year while still making a full years salary.

    Do a sports medicine masters maybe ? You might link in with a sports team that way if you are that way inclined.

    None of the pathology disciplines are 9 to 5 because path departments are open 24/7 too. They don't have as large an unsociable hours burden as surgery or emergency true - but if you're the only microbiologist for 2 or 3 small hospitals you're on call 24/7. Even with histopathology, if you're in a transplant centre and an organ becomes available for an oncology patient, you're in with the surgeons.


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    #14
    Ardillaun
    Registered Users Posts: 2,535 ✭✭✭Ardillaun


    In the modern era, the 9 to 5 of yore has gone for everybody - those cell phones never sleep. With that said, pathology is still better than most specialties from that point of view but it’s out on a limb from clinical medicine. Public health or rehab might be an easier transition to make with a lot more in the way of positive feedback. Surgeons aren’t big on gratitude. Calls from them are usually bad news.


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    #15
    Ardillaun
    Registered Users Posts: 2,535 ✭✭✭Ardillaun


    Even in the absence of frozen sections, pathologists have to open large specimens out of hours, which can be removed on an urgent basis at any time, to ensure they fix properly in formalin.


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    #16
    Dingle_berry
    Registered Users Posts: 885 ✭✭✭Dingle_berry


    Ardillaun wrote: »
    In the modern era, the 9 to 5 of yore has gone for everybody - those cell phones never sleep. With that said, pathology is still better than most specialties from that point of view but it’s out on a limb from clinical medicine. Public health or rehab might be an easier transition to make with a lot more in the way of positive feedback. Surgeons aren’t big on gratitude. Calls from them are usually bad news.
    Absolutely - no health care worker is ever gauranteed 9 to 5 and the better you are at your job the more likely you colleagues are to phone you out of hours.
    In terms of practice yes it's quite removed from clinical medicine. That's why I'd recommend it for the OP and anyone who loves medicine but not the clinic. In terms of knowledge it requires a lot of clinical knowledge; knowing how a specimen was obtained and why so as to orientate it for dissection, knowing how to present the results so that the clinician (surgeon or GP) gets the most benefit from them.
    In terms of feedback there's lots of positive feedback to be found. Clinicians rely on you to confirm their diagnosis. You assist them in determining the next steps for the patient. You just don't get the thank you from the patients and families as the credit doesn't get shared.


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    #17
    Ardillaun
    Registered Users Posts: 2,535 ✭✭✭Ardillaun


    I think pathology, esp. histopathology, suits introverts better. If you like social contact, you should probably put it further down the list. Keep it in mind, though, if you don’t function well during or after a sleepless night on call.


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