opinion
Encore careers offer doctors a world entirely apart from medical realm
Posted Jan. 23, 2012
Regarding "Jumping to a nonclinical career" (link): Your article fails to make the important distinction between nonclinical and encore careers. Nonclinical jobs typically revolve around health care administration and information technology; they are usually found in health systems, government and industry (e.g., health insurance and pharmaceutical industries).
Encore careers, on the other hand, satisfy lifelong interests and passions unrelated to medicine; they appeal to mid- and late-career physicians as they search for a deeper meaning to life and focus on what matters most to them. People often pursue encore careers in lieu of retirement.
Physicians with encore careers still may choose to practice part time, but they can now claim a freedom to work rather than a freedom from work.
Arthur Lazarus, MD, Chadds Ford, Pa.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/01/23/edlt0123.htm.