Alternative careers for doctors: Q&A with Dr Mohammad

“A lot of people are clocking on that they want to mix both their passions and their work together. If you enjoy the work you do, you never work a day in your life, right?”

Are you looking to find out more about alternative careers for doctors?

We had the pleasure of sitting down with locum research physician Dr Fahad Mohammed to gain insight into the non-traditional jobs and opportunities that are currently available to doctors working in the UK.

Within this blog, you can watch his Q&A interview and find out about the many ways A&E Agency can support you in finding your perfect alternative role.

Why are people seeking alternative careers?

In 2021, three words reshaped the world of work - “The Great Resignation”.

The pandemic caused a lot of people to reassess their priorities. Many found that they wanted to be doing things that brought them joy and began actively seeking out alternative careers.

This included record numbers of frontline NHS staff, who left the register or chose to take some time out to reflect on what they wanted their future to look like - both professionally and personally.

Alternative career ideas for doctors

We understand that at any point in your career as a doctor, you may want to find something new and different to suit your lifestyle.

Alternative career options that are common with the doctors we work with include:

1. Clinical research jobs
2. Cruise ship physicians
3. Slimming clinic doctors
4. Functional assessor roles
5. Primary care sector careers
6. Aesthetics
7. Fertility clinics
8. Addiction rehab clinics
9. Private insourcing contracts

At A&E Agency, we offer a diverse portfolio of jobs. We work with many private sector clients in the medical and health industry to be able to provide you with exclusive roles with a difference. Your perfect opportunity may just be around the corner.

A deep dive into clinical research jobs

“A day working in the life at a CRO can be very varied, you are doing lots of different things at different times, sometimes it’s a bit hectic, sometimes it’s quite relaxing but it’s invariably a lot of fun.”

Choosing your new career path

At A&E Agency, we understand that embarking on an alternative career path can be daunting. If you’re looking for advice and information, our team are here to support you. We go above and beyond to find our doctors their dream jobs.

When helping you decide on the right career path, we will look to gain insight into:

• Your career goals
• Your personal pursuits
• Your drivers and values
• Your professional and personal priorities
• Your likes and dislikes
• Your preferred career options

By taking the time to fully understand what you want from your future, we can match you with the right job opportunities.

We're proud to have helped many doctors find alternative jobs in the UK, securing truly unique roles that support their development in line with personal and professional goals.

We work with NHS trusts and private organisations right across the country to find opportunities in all grades and specialties to offer our doctors flexibility, support, highly competitive pay rates and jobs that are just a bit different.

How to transition to your new career path

Your journey onto your new career path will depend on your experience and the route that you have chosen to take. Our dedicated team will be happy to offer specialist advice on how to begin transitioning onto your new career path.

Our top tips for doctors embarking on an alternative career

• Start out in a temporary role to get an idea of if the work suits you
• Ensure you carry out Continuing Professional Development (CPD) by undertaking courses and voluntary training, all offered by A&E Agency
• Continue to do at least one shift a month in an acute setting to keep up your clinical skills. This is important if you ever intend to go back to NHS work
• Complete your annual appraisal and revalidation to maintain your GMC registration – speak to your employer or A&E Agency about meeting the requirements
• Work with an organisation that offers clear pathways and supports career progression

Explore your opportunities with A&E Agency

A&E Agency has a growing portfolio of both NHS and non-traditional medical careers. Browse our current live vacancies to take the next step forward in finding the right opportunity for you.

If you want to know more about ‘non-traditional’ roles, register with us or get in touch. Our team will be on hand to discuss alternative career options available to doctors within the UK.