For today's podcast episode, I had the pleasure of speaking to a nonclinical career expert. She actually “wrote the book” on this topic.
Heidi Moawad, MD, is a neurologist and adjunct professor at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. She's worked in many facets of medicine, including clinical practice, healthcare utilization, medical writing, telemedicine, payment policy and undergraduate and medical education.
She's the author of the book Careers Beyond Clinical Medicine, and she's the host of a website for physicians that's devoted to non-clinical careers. She wrote the book and created the website to help doctors looking for instructions and information about the universe of healthcare jobs, entrepreneurial paths, and nonclinical work. The book provides detailed step-by-step instructions for doctors who are looking for information about nonclinical careers.
But before I get to the interview, I want to acknowledge our sponsor…
The University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA
I'm very thankful to have the support of the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA Program offered by the Haslam College of Business. You’ll remember that I interviewed Dr. Kate Atchley, the Executive Director of the program, in Episode #25 of this podcast.
The UT PEMBA is the longest running, and most highly respected physician-only MBA in the country, with over 650 graduates. Unlike most other ranked programs, which typically have a duration of 18 to 24 months, this program only takes a year to complete. And, it’s offered by the business school that was recently ranked #1 in the world for the Most Relevant Executive MBA program, by Economist magazine.
University of Tennessee PEMBA students bring exceptional value to their organizations by contributing at the highest level while earning their degree. The curriculum includes a number of major assignments and a company project, both of which are structured to immediately apply to each student’s organization.
Graduates have taken leadership positions at major healthcare organizations and have become entrepreneurs and business owners. If you want to acquire the business and management skills needed to advance your nonclinical career, contact Dr. Atchley’s office by calling (865) 974-6526 or going to vitalpe.net/physicianmba.
Birth of a Nonclinical Career Expert
Heidi Moawad was passionate about her work as a neurologist, and she loved what she did. But around 2003, she started becoming more and more frustrated with utilization review issues and other interference in her practice. In her frustration, she approached the company that was declining her requests to learn more about the UM process.
She began to provide reviews for the company, and ultimately turned that into a full-time nonclinical career, leaving clinical medicine. With the extra flexibility and free time she created, she followed her other passion – medical writing.
Colleagues began asking her to teach them how to make a similar transition. In response, she began doing extensive research, which led her to publish Careers Beyond Clinical Medicine through Oxford Press. She then created her website nonclinicaldoctors.com so she could continue to update career information and provide job listings for interested physicians. Between writing her book and creating her website, she truly is a nonclinical career expert.
Here are some of the highlights of our conversation:
- How Heidi handled her career transition, and what she learned along the way;
- What inspired her to translate what she learned into a book;
- How she published her book;
- Ways to gain freelance writing experience as a physician;
- The resources Heidi provides on nonclinicaldoctors.com; and,
- Her advice to doctors looking to make a career change.
Summary
Heidi Moawad is a fantastic example of a physician nonclinical career expert generous enough to share her experience with us. Our conversation taught me about the different paths to medical writing, as well as the work involved in becoming an author.
She took some pretty bold steps early in her nonclinical career, transitioning from full-time neurologist to a job in utilization review in just 9 months. And once she recognized the enormous interest in nonclinical careers, she used her writing skills to begin yet another career. She became an author and website curator, identifying and presenting resources for physicians in career transition.
During our conversation, she taught us about how to become a writer. She described:
- which websites and print publications are a good fit for different kinds of work,
- when we should expect to get paid, and,
- how we can start leveraging our writing to build industry connections.
She gave us a fascinating insight into the world of publishing. And she encouraged us not to give up on our writing. She also provided key advice when interviewing: don’t show up without doing your research. Get to know the industry you’re looking at before you apply for a position. Then show up with plenty of background knowledge and educated questions to ask.
Click on the links below to order Heidi Moawad’s book, check out her website, and read some of the articles she’s written. If you have further questions for Heidi, you can reach out to her via the contact form on her website.
Resources
Careers Beyond Clinical Medicine Book
Heidi Moawad's LinkedIn Profile
The University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA Program
I want to sincerely thank the UT Physician Executive MBA program, again, for sponsoring the show. It’s an outstanding, highly rated, MBA program designed for working physicians. It might be just what you need to prepare for that joyful, well-paying career. You can find out more at vitalpe.net/physicianmba.
Thanks again for listening. I hope to see you next time on Physician NonClinical Careers.
As always, I welcome your comments and feedback.
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Podcast Editing & Production Services are provided by Oscar Hamilton
Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed here are mine and my guest’s. While the information provided on the podcast is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge, there is no express or implied guarantee that using the methods discussed here will lead to success in your career, life or business.
The information presented on this blog and related podcast is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only. It should not be construed as medical, legal, tax, or emotional advice. If you take action on the information provided on the blog or podcast, it is at your own risk. Always consult an attorney, accountant, career counsellor, or other professional before making any major decisions about your career.
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