Non-Clinical Physician Jobs, Careers, and Opportunities

I always enjoy visiting San Francisco

2012-05-23T20:54:00.000-04:00

I just came back from a very short trip to San Francisco and I was reminded of all the different reasons why I enjoy visiting this "mecca" of innovation. In Silicon Valley, so much is happening in the world of health information technology, mobile health, and social media. You're constantly surrounded by innovation and interesting ideas. There's also never a dull moment in that interesting city. I wish I could have spent some more time in SF, but it was a quick trip. I was primarily in SF because our education company was developing some education with several pulmonologists who were all attending the 2012 American Thoracic Society (ATS) conference. You'll see a new CME activity related to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) coming out on our website CMEcorner.com.

I also enjoyed a nice chat with a few different people as we talked about the evolution of the pharmaceutical industry, medical writing, and in mobile devices and computers.

My next major business trip will be in Chicago. I also enjoy visiting Chicago and it seems like I find myself there several times each year for various meetings, conferences, and events.

MIT and Harvard recently announced edX

2012-05-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

Online education has reached a new level recently. Plus, the business model behind education may be facing some disruptive innovation because of edX.

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently announced edX, a transformational new partnership in online education. Through edX, the two institutions will collaborate to enhance campus-based teaching and learning and build a global community of online learners.

EdX is a joint partnership between The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University to offer online learning to millions of people around the world. EdX will offer Harvard and MIT classes online for free. Through this partnership, the institutions aim to extend their collective reach to build a global community of online learners and to improve education for everyone.

EdX is a Cambridge-based not-for-profit, equally owned and funded by Harvard and MIT. The first set of courses will be announced in the summer and will begin in the Fall 2012.

Learn more about edX here.

Hospitals employ almost 20 percent of all physicians

2012-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

As more physicians choose an employment model, what will happen to independent physicians? What will happen to those physicians who are still in private practice?

These days, hospitals and health systems are seeing more requests from independent physicians about employment options. Hospitals are acquiring independent physician practices and offering compensation packages that include financial incentives (bonus payments) that are linked to patient satisfaction ratings and clinical performance and health care quality. These types of financial incentives may currently only be 3-5% of total physician compensation, but it is expected to increase to about 7-10% of physician total compensation.

If you are still in private practice, do you see yourself staying in that model until you retire? Or, will you be one of those independent physicians switching to an employment model?

If you are interested in learning more, read the Sullivan Cotter's 2011 Physician Compensation and Productivity Survey Report by Sullivan, Cotter and Associates, Inc.

Evisors: find a career coach

2012-05-19T00:22:00.000-04:00

What happens when you get two Harvard MBA graduates starting a company designed to provide expert advice? You get Evisors.

Consult with leading experts to help you and your business succeed.

If you're already an expert, you can become an advisor on Evisor as well to generate some supplemental income.

Evisors is looking for professionals at all levels, from analysts to senior executives, with domain expertise in:

Careers - Job Search, Resumes, and Interviews
Admissions - Prep School, College, and Grad School
Business - All Industries and Functions

Learn more here: http://www.evisors.com

5 simple reasons why physicians should join Doximity

2012-05-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Connect with other physicians in a secure, private online network. Here are 5 reasons why physicians should join Doximity (I copied the following directly from the Doximity page):

Reconnect. Stay in touch with colleagues, former classmates and co-residents. Over 80% of US physicians already have a message waiting for them.
Save time. Get phone, fax and back office numbers in seconds. Over 700,000 MD profiles with education, training, certifications, publications, and more.
Get noticed. Make your practice more visible to our 50,000+ active physician users by filling out your profile or uploading your CV.
Fax anywhere. Get your own free digital fax line. Send and receive faxes from your mobile phone or the web. No charge.
Earn honoraria. Clients paid over $100 million to MDs last year for research, 2nd opinions, and medicolegal consulting. Average rate is $500/hr.

You can join here: https://www.doximity.com

Job Posting: Medical Officer

2012-05-16T14:22:00.002-04:00

Job Posting:

Medical Officer
The Henry M. Jackson Foundation
Bethesda, MD 20817

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation (HJF) is seeking a Medical Officer to support the Division of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (DAIDS) of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) as part of the HJF-DAIDS Program., located on Rockledge Drive in Bethesda, Maryland. HJF provides administrative and management support to DAIDS.

DAIDS was formed in 1986 to develop and implement the national research agenda to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Specifically, the mission of DAIDS is to help ensure an end to the HIV/AIDS epidemic by increasing basic knowledge of the pathogenesis and transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), supporting the development of therapies for HIV infection and its complications and co-infections, and supporting the development of vaccines and other prevention strategies.

Read more »

The HIMSS Virtual Career Fair is Today

2012-05-16T01:15:00.001-04:00

Today, HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) is having a virtual career fair from 11am-7:30pm CT. You can "attend" this career fair virtually by sitting in front of your computer.

The Virtual Career Fair is a state-of-the-art, web- based event for connecting qualified clinical and non-clinical health IT job seekers with recruiters nationwide.

Learn more and register here.

Pharmaceutical Executive May 2012

2012-05-14T16:56:00.002-04:00

If you have an interest in learning more about the pharmaceutical industry, make sure to read the Pharmaceutical Executive magazine on a regular basis. Get familiar with the terminology and the key issues that impact the pharma industry today. You can read the May 2012 issue here (digital issue).

Generating supplemental income through telemedicine

2012-05-08T21:41:00.000-04:00

These days, a growing number of physicians are eager to leave clinical practice to enter the non-clinical business world of health care. However, there is also an opportunity to generate income by virtually "visiting" patients using your webcam and a secure telemedicine portal that offers patients direct access to physicians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You could sign up to provide care through one of these portals, but you'll need to be familiar with interstate telemedicine regulations governing medical licensure. Otherwise, you could end up on a news story because you were practicing medicine in a state (treating a patient who lived in another state) where you did not have a medical license.

The issue concerning medical licensure and telemedicine is a hot topic right now. Many regulatory bodies recognize that telemedicine is a cost-effective way to deliver care, but many physicians face barriers regarding the issue of interstate medical licensure. It's rather cumbersome to get a license in every state. Plus, some states have requirements that literally make it impossible for you to get a license unless you live there.

I've been writing about telemedicine on one of my other websites (see those stories here) and I will be continuing to follow the telemedicine industry closely. There are many overlapping themes with mobile health (mHealth) and telemedicine given that the technologies are converging and mobile devices are becoming powerful telemedicine tools as well. Get familiar with telemedicine because you won't want to miss the opportunity to monetize those virtual visits with your patients. The next major trend will be some sort of concierge televisit through the use of smartphones and tablets.

Operations Integration Administrative Residency

2012-05-04T15:01:00.000-04:00

If you are a medical student, resident, or fellow, have you considered an Operations Integration Administrative Residency, Internship, or Fellowship? Johns Hopkins University has a unique program that may be of interest to you. Here are some of the details:

The residency experience at the Johns Hopkins Health System’s Department of Operations Integration is a matchless opportunity. The focus of the residency program includes projects to conceive and implement the healthcare delivery model of the future; designing and applying patient-centered best practices; and the integration of safety, quality improvement, and innovative technologies in hospital and health system design and administration.

The combination of four acute care hospitals, multiple ambulatory care programs, a homecare practice, a managed care contracting entity, and several physician/academic group practices offers qualified applicants an opportunity to gain valuable work experience in a variety of healthcare delivery and support settings. Residents work closely with executive leadership, senior clinical, non-clinical, and financial administrators, physicians and nurses to conceive and implement plans and procedures for patient care, business improvement, and program development.

Read more »

Biotech Bay Area Career Fair

2012-05-04T08:30:00.001-04:00

Biotech Bay Career Fair
San Francisco Airport Marriott
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
1pm to 6pm

Exhibiting companies include:

Amgen
Baxter International, Inc.
Bayside Solutions, Inc.
Dynavax Technologies
Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Learn more here.

Synergy Pharmaceuticals Appoints Gail M. Comer, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer

2012-05-04T08:30:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK, May 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGYP) (Nasdaq:SGYPU) (Nasdaq:SGYPW), a developer of new drugs to treat gastrointestinal disorders and diseases, announced today the appointment of Gail M. Comer, M. D. as Chief Medical Officer, effective May 14, 2012. In this newly created position, Dr. Comer will report directly to President and Chief Executive Officer, Gary S. Jacob, Ph.D., and will be responsible for guiding Synergy's clinical programs, including the ongoing Phase II/III study of plecanatide, the Company's leading drug candidate.

Dr. Gail Comer, a board-certified gastroenterologist and hepatologist, has more than 14 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having spent 7 years at Abbott Laboratories as a Medical Director, six years in clinical development at Wyeth Research as Senior Medical Director, and most recently as Senior Director of the BioTherapeutics Research Unit at Pfizer. While at Wyeth, Dr. Comer was Medical Research Leader in Gastroenterology, and more recently, while at Pfizer, was Clinical Lead for multiple biologic compounds in early development in inflammatory bowel disease.

Read more »

ACPE Physician Leadership Development Program

2012-05-03T09:28:00.001-04:00

Bring education in-house with the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) Physician Leadership Development Program. Research published in Social Science and Medicine demonstrated a strong correlation between physician leadership and top-performing health systems. In fact, U.S. News & World Report reported that nine of the top ten U.S. hospitals are led by physician CEOs.

So how do you teach physicians the strategic skills necessary to help lead your organization?
By bringing ACPE’s education in-house.

More than 50,000 physicians worldwide have placed their confidence in ACPE to provide their leadership training.

Learn more about the ACPE’s Physician Leadership Development Program here.

Attending the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) 2012 Conference

2012-05-01T18:53:00.001-04:00

I've been attending the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) 2012 Conference and I invite you to read my blog coverage from the meeting here on MedicineandTechnology.com and on MedicalSmartphones.com.

Returning non-practicing physicians to the workforce

2012-04-30T07:30:00.000-04:00

Before you leave your clinical career, consider whether it will be possible for you to re-enter clinical medicine after a period of inactivity. Every state medical board has different requirements surrounding re-entry. There are currently several re-entry programs throughout the United States that help physicians re-enter the clinical workforce after they have been clinically inactive for a period of time. One of those programs is at Drexel University and it looks like they published a nice article about the success of their program. Here is the abstract:

Introduction: Few formal educational programs are available in the United States to assist physicians wishing to return to medical practice after clinical inactivity. Little published data on physicians who complete these programs exist. We describe the Drexel Medicine Physician Reentry/Refresher course and present our findings on participant demographics, performance, and goal attainment following course completion.

Read more »

Dr. Lawrence Riddles named president of ACPE Board of Directors

2012-04-27T14:44:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to all the new ACPE board members!

TAMPA – (April 27, 2012) The American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) today announced the selection of the new members and officers of the 2012-13 Board of Directors, including the appointment of Dr. Lawrence Riddles, MD, MBA, CPE, FACS, FACPE, as ACPE president and chairman of the board.

Also selected as officers are Mark Werner, MD, CPE, FACPE, who will serve as vice-president, and Lynn Helmer, MD, MBA, FACP, CPE, FACPE, secretary-treasurer. New board members are Hoda Asmar, MD, MBA, CPE, FACP, FACHE, FACPE; Mark Browne, MD, MMM, FAAP, FACPE; and Jack Smith, MD, MMM, CPE, FACPE.

Read more »

Career outcomes of medical school graduates who failed USMLE Step 1 on the first attempt

2012-04-26T07:30:00.000-04:00

What happens to medical students who struggle with USMLE Step 1? Do they have a different career outcome compared to their peers who don't struggle with standardized exams? The following is an abstract from a journal article titled, "Academic and professional career outcomes of medical school graduates who failed USMLE Step 1 on the first attempt."

This study sought to determine the academic and professional outcomes of medical school graduates who failed the United States Licensing Examination Step 1 on the first attempt. This retrospective cohort study was based on pooled data from 2,003 graduates of six Midwestern medical schools in the classes of 1997-2002. Demographic, academic, and career characteristics of graduates who failed Step 1 on the first attempt were compared to graduates who initially passed. Fifty medical school graduates (2.5 %) initially failed Step 1. Compared to graduates who initially passed Step 1, a higher proportion of graduates who initially failed Step 1 became primary care physicians (26/49 [53 %] vs. 766/1,870 [40.9 %]), were more likely at graduation to report intent to practice in underserved areas (28/50 [56 %] vs. 419/1,939 [ 21.6 %]), and more likely to take 5 or more years to graduate (11/50 [22.0 %] vs. 79/1,953 [4.0 %]). The relative risk of first attempt Step 1 failure for medical school graduates was 13.4 for African Americans, 7.4 for Latinos, 3.6 for matriculants >22 years of age, 3.2 for women, and 2.3 for first generation college graduates. The relative risk of not being specialty board certified for those graduates who initially failed Step 1 was 2.2. Our observations regarding characteristics of graduates in our study cohort who initially failed Step 1 can inform efforts by medical schools to identify and assist students who are at particular risk of failing Step 1.

Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. 2012 Apr 7.

Authors: McDougle L, Mavis BE, Jeffe DB, Roberts NK, Ephgrave K, Hageman HL, Lypson ML, Thomas L, Andriole DA.

PMID: 22484965

Clinical Development/Medical Affairs and Regulatory Career Paths

2012-04-25T07:03:00.000-04:00

Propel Careers, MassBio, and the MassBioEd have joined together to organize a series of networking and panel events focused on raising awareness of career paths that exist in life sciences for individuals with advanced degrees. This Futures in Life Science program will bring together experts across a wide range of disciplines and functional areas within the life science industry, who will detail their roles and will provide a rich context for the audience to gain a clear understanding of the skills, aptitudes, competencies, and personalities that thrive in their particular functions.

The event will focus on the various career options within the Clinical Development , Regulatory, and Medical Affairs area of life sciences sector.

Clinical Development/Medical Affairs and Regulatory Career Paths
May 22nd 2012

More information here: http://fils52011.eventbrite.com/

Growing need for health IT support

2012-04-24T14:57:00.000-04:00

There is a growing need for health information technology (health IT) support these days. More hospitals and physician practices are transitioning from paper-based records to computerized records. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are becoming the new "standard" in the world of health care, but technical glitches and computer problems are causing endless frustration. As a result, there are a number of organizations that are rapidly expanding their support staff and they are offering remote IT support to many health care clients. If you have strong computer skills, you may be interested in learning how your skills can be utilized by technology companies that are looking for professionals who understand health care security, compliance, patient privacy, and HIPAA regulations. If you can troubleshoot your own computers, then you'll save countless headaches and delays in workplace productivity by fixing the problems yourself. Or, maybe you'll drag your spouse to the office to fix the computer problems for you. Then again, if you have remote IT access, then you don't even need to go into the office.

There are a number of applications, products, and solutions that offer remote desktop services at an enterprise level. To avoid HIPAA violations, make sure that your connections are secure and that the right level of encryption is available so that your patient records are protected.

SoPE Box Radio

2012-04-24T08:30:00.000-04:00

SoPE (The Society of Physician Entrepreneurs) has an online radio show called the SoPE Box Radio. You can listen to discussions related to the business of medicine. Themes will be, but not limited to, healthcare reform, innovation, entrepreneurship, the impact of social media on healthcare delivery.

You can listen to some archived shows here (bottom of the page). New shows will air on Mondays.

MD 2.0: Physician Leadership for the Information Age

2012-04-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

MD 2.0: Physician Leadership for the Information Age
Grace E. Terrell, MD, MMM, FACP, CPE, FACPE and J.M. Bohn, MBA

The following is an excerpt from the new book by ACPE Fellow Grace Terrell and collaborator J.M. Bohn, published by the ACPE.

The Beginning

The time is now.

We are at the beginning of what we expect will be the single fastest transformation of any industry in U.S. history. In this tidal wave of change demographic and socioeconomic forces colliding with the status quo will radically alter the landscape of the health care delivery system in ways that were inconceivable a decade ago. Our nation is addressing a number of critical issues, including recovery from the Great Recession with its housing and mortgage crisis and the near-collapse of the world’s financial system, a polarized political leadership, rapid demographic changes brought on by the aging of the population and immigration, terrorism, and health care financial reform. Among these competing national priorities, no individual issue in America has posed as pressing of a concern and heightened importance for the public as those that directly impact their personal well-being and health.

Read more »

Open House for Jefferson School of Population Health

2012-04-23T07:30:00.002-04:00

Interested in a degree in Health Policy & Healthcare Quality & Safety? Join faculty and other members of the Jefferson School of Population Health to learn more about some of our online degree programs. The Master of Sciences degrees that will be covered in this session are Health Policy, Healthcare Quality & Safety, and Healthcare Quality & Safety Management.

Open House for Jefferson School of Population Health
Thursday, April 26, 2012 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT

Register here.

Getting ready for ATA (American Telemedicine Association) 2012

2012-04-20T08:40:00.000-04:00

The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) 2012 conference is coming up at the end of this month and I hope to see you there! There are many new and exciting developments occurring in the world of telemedicine and I'm looking forward to a great conference.

ATA 2012: 17th Annual International Meeting & Exposition
April 29 - May 1, 2012
San Jose, CA

The ATA Annual Meeting is the largest telehealth event of the year, with over 450 peer reviewed presentations and the world’s largest tradeshow focusing exclusively on telemedicine, telehealth and mHealth technologies. Join 4000+ telemedicine professionals and discover the technologies that are revolutionizing healthcare.

Read more »

Health 2.0 Spring Fling: Matchpoint Boston

2012-04-20T08:30:00.000-04:00

Interested in health care entrepreneurship? You may want to travel to Boston in May for the

Health 2.0 Spring Fling: Matchpoint Boston
May 14-15, 2012

Matchpoint Boston - Face-to-face meetings between entrepreneurs and decision makers from the nation’s leading health care organizations and investors including: Aetna Inc., Angie’s List, athenahealth Inc., AT&T, Bristol-Myers Squibb, California HealthCare Foundation, Healthline Networks Inc., Kaiser Permanente, Virgin Healthmiles Inc., and Ziegler.

Read more »

Med Ad News Virtual Career Fair

2012-04-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Gain Valuable Insights and Meet with Companies currently recruiting professionals for a variety of positions at the Med Ad News Virtual Career Fair–FREE Registration!

LIVE Presentations and Q&A include the following topics:
• You got the job – what next?
• Executives on the Rise – Salary Survey
• Social Media's Agency Impact
• Professional, DTC and DTP marketing

Benefits of Attending:
• Interact live with participating Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, Ad Agencies, Marketing Services Companies and Recruiters
• Gain valuable insights from our speaker sessions and pose questions in the live Q&A
• Network and increase your employment prospects
• View the comprehensive job board, apply for positions and share your resume and portfolio directly within the environment!

Virtual Doors Open: May 15, 2012 at 10:00am eastern time
Virtual Career Fair Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm ET/ 7:00 am to 1:00 pm PT

Register for this event here.