Physician Non-Clinical Career Spotlight: Options For Physicians Without Residency Part 1
Are you a US or international medical graduate with no residency training in the US, and you want to know your career options?
This article is for you.
I provide guidance and examples of options to help you find your best-fit career.
[Note: This article is for you if you have already decided you do NOT want to pursue residency. It does not cover the decision to do residency or not.]
4 steps to figure out your options.
STEP 1:
Start with these 3 foundational questions:
Who do I want to become? What do I really want? Why do I want it?
STEP 2:
Determine the skills, experiences, and interests you want to take with you into your next career.
STEP 3:
Decide if you want to do direct patient care. If yes, browse through the 8 examples of patient care options.
If not, and you want non-clinical career options, refer to Part 2 of this article.
8 EXAMPLES OF DIRECT PATIENT CARE OPTIONS:
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
Certified anesthesia assistant (CAA)
Certified surgical technologist or Certified surgical first assistant
Emergency Medicine Technician (EMT) or Paramedic
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Physician Assistant (PA)
PAs complete a 27 month-long master’s degree program from an accredited PA school.
Median Pay is USD 126,000.00 per year (2022).
To learn more, go HERE.
Certified anesthesia assistant (CAA)
A CAA is a master’s degree level non-physician anesthesia care provider.
Unlike a CRNA, you don’t need to become an RN first.
The average annual salary is USD 214,505.00 (Glassdoor)
Certified surgical technologist or Certified surgical first assistant
A certificate or associate degree is required. Certification is usually required.
The median annual salary is USD 56,350.00 (2022)
Genetics Counselor
If you are interested in genetics, you can become a certified genetics counselor.
A master’s degree in genetics counseling is typically required. Nearly all states require licensure and certification.
The median annual salary is $89,990.00 (2022)
Medical assistant (CMA)
A CMA is a medical assistant certified by the American Board of Medical Assistants.
There are several accredited training programs in the US that offer academic and clinical training.
Median annual salary is USD 38,270.00 (2022)
STEP 4:
Choose one or two of the above options (or another option not on this list) and connect with someone who is working in this area.
Explore job descriptions to find out more.
For networking tips, read How to Build Your Network Part I and Part II.
LAST WORDS:
If you’re a US or international medical graduate and you have no residency training, take courage!
First get clear on what you want, what skills and experiences you want to use, and if you want to do patient care or not.
It’s never too late! There are rewarding careers where you can provide patient care as a non-physician and still earn a reasonable salary.
If you are interested in the non-clinical options, these will be covered in part 2 of this article next month.
“Pay attention to how readily people talk themselves out of things—and be wary of adopting the same narrative. People will often try to convince you their limiting beliefs should become your own. They do not. Find your own ceiling.”
– James Clear, 1/24/24