To ask what else I can do with a medical degree

[BelleMarionette]

I'm a doctor, and don't think I can afford to be anymore, with the abysmal pay, conditions, and antisocial hours.

I have been working just to pay childcare for the majority of my career.

I'm looking for something better paid (this should be easy as pay is pretty dire) with flexibility to ideally work from home for some of the week. The difficulty with medicine is that we become so institutionalised that it's hard to see what else there is out there.

Any suggestions for careers that would value my experience? (Registrar, so completed foundation training and several years of speciality training)

As usual, there are people here thinking doctors earn more than we do. We have to pay out of pocket for royal college membership, GMC, indemnity and exams. Plus unpaid overtime.

I'm also not on 50k. I am not full time, but am working more than a usual full time job.

I'm looking for a job where I can support my family, and not have hideous childcare costs due to antisocial hours.

Investment banking. There's currently a big pipeline of healthcare / healthtech / diagnostics companies wanting to float on the stock exchange and they need bankers who know what they're talking about when it comes to the science.

I know 2 people who did this. Went from NHS salaries to some serious, serious bunce.

A girl I went to school with went to Uni to do a medical degree. I'm not in touch with her particularly, but I believe she qualified.

She now works for a private hospital, but in management and is now the CEO of a brand new private hospital. I have no idea how she got in to it, but it's worth looking at whether there's any non-clinical roles in private health.

Pharma - clinical trials management. A consultant surgeon I know stepped sideways into that and doubled her salary/was able to spend time with her children again (very antisocial hours and no scope for private practice). Drug repping can pay well but is cut-throat.

Or I also know one person who moved into project managing at Dept of Health - I’m not totally sure how he did it, but there was a training scheme which he then stepped sideways from.

And somebody else who works in management consultancy - I think he just applied for the PWC graduate scheme along with everyone else. Works with health clients.

Hi there, retired GP here
I did some medical writing and training in editing and proofreading a few years ago. I didn't go into it in a big way but I enjoyed the challenge of something new and made some money to supplement my pension. Friends have done various things. One did a law degree and practices as a medico-legal consultant, another rents out holiday homes which he purchased from investments. One of my younger colleagues now works as a lifestyle coach. In retirement I can see the importance of a work-life balance which to be honest when I was trying to keep my head above water in the midst of NHS chaos I didn't see. Good luck

Medical regulatory / clinical negligence law (albeit you'd need to do a post grad qualification)

To those saying about the £50k. Most of tech industry earn that even outside of London. It's very easy to find remote jobs, WFH, no shifts, fixed office hours. Doctors don't earn well at £50k if it includes unsociable shift work. That's the problem. If it's a £50k WFH role with compleletly flexible hours to attend school events and do pick up/drop off, then it's good pay.

To the OP, one of the school mums at my DC school works in project or compliance for pharma. She does lots of drop offs and pick ups. I can only assume it's very flexible. I'm agreeing with others that might be a transferrable area to look at.

clinical scientist? Most seem to work 9-5 and some home working these days

One of my colleagues became a lecturer, another went into clinical risk management, working for a legal firm, and another does medical writing and proofreading, and they have al said they are better off, happier, and less stressed. The latter two can WFH, and set their own hours pretty much.
Good luck

Publishing - tons of doctors and scientists working in publishing, editorial, commissioning, journals, open access etc
freelance as a technical reader for publishing
teach or lecture
Pharma

What is your speciality?
Is it just the hours and childcare you're concerned about? Do you still hold an interest in medicine?

Pharma, research, vaccines, cosmetic industry?

Check out senior occupational health roles in corporate. I see a lot of former doctors doing this - their expertise is valued and it's a flexible job with good pay at senior levels.

Some of this will depend on your speciality and where in the country you are. Many industries tend to cluster (I.e. there seems to be lots of pharma around Cambridge and Cheshire). Same with universities. Just a thought as you may not get full-time wfh with some of those.

Could you get into Occupational Health work and retrain as an OHP? I work in an OH dept and we really struggle to find OHP's. Thank goodness our turnover is low- the hours are 8-4 mon to Fri, some of them have worked part time around school and nursery hours, no shift work at all and can do some work remotely i.e telephone/teams.
I know when we have had to get a locum in and pay them a day rate, they can demand (and get) £1k+per day. I appreciate they have tax etc to pay but still seems pretty good to me.

OHP - we have some on our books for £1500 a day and you only need to work 8.00am - 16.30pm. Most self employed OHP’s make £250,000 a year. Hidden route for doctors.

why not stay in medicine and go down the GP route. It can work to fit round school hours/holidays etc. I have a friend that has kids and an excellent work life balance

If ideally you want to stay in something medical -
Academic medicine (i.e. research and teaching)?
Public health registrar?
GP? (I've a surgeon friend who is retraining as a GP due to surgery bring incompatible with family life.)

Or something else entirely! I'm presuming you're still relatively young with decades of work still ahead. Don't be held hostage by a decision you made as a young adult (to do medicine).

Medicolegal work

Management consultancy

Coaching - which is very big in city and law firms but the nhs is woefully behind on this. You can tailor it for medics.

Teach/lecture and medical school

Good luck!

Definitely agree with this. It’s an easy training course to get the additional qualification and just register with the MFOM. Declare your available hours to different OH providers and they will book your clinics for you. You can work from home and just do video and telephone, if you prefer book yourself a regular Regus room and offer face to face and it’s up to you on how many cases you see each day.

Most lf the roles suggested here will pay less than a doctor earns.,

Are you close to CCT?
It might be worth getting it before you get out.
I work in private healthcare now and it's lovely

How do you get into this?

Aesthetics and locum work combined maybe? It's one of those hard ones where it's hard to move sideways from anything above FY1/2 and keep your salary.