Clinical vs. Non-Clinical Jobs in the Medical Industry

Sometimes, after years of caring for patients, healthcare professionals such as physicians or nurses move on to non-clinical roles, which are roles that do not entail direct patient care. These may include working as a Medical Director or executive in a corporation in the healthcare industry, such as a healthcare consulting firm, government agency, pharmaceuticals, or medical device company. Some go into teaching, training, or managing other workers who are caring for patients.

A small percentage of doctors never enter into clinical professions at all, even if they’re qualified to do so. Just because you have an “M.D.” after your name doesn’t mean you have to treat patients, or work in a hospital or doctor's office. Some physicians become entrepreneurs, opening up their own company based on an innovation they have devised, or they may leverage their medical knowledge and expertise to compete in fields such as medical staffing, medical equipment, or practice management. Additionally, did you know that there are many non-clinical roles which are available to those with an associate's degree, or bachelor's degree?

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring more of these careers in-depth, through various career profiles. If there is a career you’d like to see profiled, which is not already, please send me a note or leave a comment! Or, if you have a healthcare job you love, whether it's clinical or non-clinical in nature, and you’d like to be interviewed for a career profile, I’d love to hear from you! You can email me at healthcareers.guide@about.com, with any ideas or information you’d like to share for future career profiles. I look forward to hearing from you!

More from your Health Careers guide:

• Hospital FAQ - How to Select a Hospital Employer
• Clinical vs. Non-Clinical FAQ
• 8 Top Tips for '08

More about employers of clinical and non-clinical professionals:

• Hospital Jobs
• CDC Jobs

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