Physician leaving clinical practice for FDA..

[Anonymous]

OP here. I'm in academics in a pediatric sub specialty. I am burned out on seeing patients. I have felt that I have lost some of empathy for my patients and really didn't like that. I also grew increasingly tired of my substantial call responsibilities. I talked to some people who had moved to Fed work (NIH, CMS, and FDA) and they seemed happy. Add that to the fact that there was a decent pay bump from what I was making and it seemed like a no-brainer, no call or weekend and more money. I guess it just seems like a big jump and I'm getting a small case of cold feet and wanted some reassurance.

[Anonymous]

If you are looking for excellent pay, I would look to medical director or medical liasion positions within the pharmaceutical industry. Great pay, life/work balance. But I'd agree that not seeing patients is tough. FDA and NIH are slow, if you want to feel like a part of something bigger, look at pharmaceutical companies with medicines used within your sub-specialty.

[Anonymous]

PP here. I meant to say medicines that you utilize or believe in. Or possibly biologics or gene therapies that are applicable to your sub specialty. Best of luck!

[Anonymous]

FWIW I'm a physician working a primarily policy job with VA, but seeing patients 20% time. After realizing that Emergency Medicine was not going to be a long-term life choice for me, I started out working at HRSA. Really enjoyed the work there, but was surprised by how much I missed having at least some regular patient care. In my case, I realized that I wanted to maintain a weekly clinic and teach some residents, so I ended up going back and doing a fellowship in Preventive/Occupational Medicine and working for VHA. Bureaucratic troubles aside, every day that I work with and for Veteran patients, I go home knowing my work matters. And the clinical work definitely makes me better at my policy job.


If you find you still want to practice, there are a variety of ways to to that. Moonlighting, pediatric urgent care shifts, locum tenens an be viable. Public Health Service can be an excellent option that directly enhances your federal career (particularly if you're FDA). Or volunteer work with Mobile Med, a WOC (without compensation physician) with VHA, or an adjunct faculty position.

It is definitely possible to strike the right balance with clinical/federal policy work. After you've had a little time to recover from private practice, there are some great options for meaningful part-time clinical work as a fed. Best of luck!

[Anonymous]

I'm not a medical officer but I work at FDA. There are a lot of MOs who keep a clinical practice one day a week.

[Anonymous]

OP here again. I don't need great pay. I'm happy with the better work-life balance. I looked at industry, but thought I would try this out for the experience. I actually think I may like it better and like the idea of keeping a clinic. I plan on doing the clinic one day a week. Can you actually moonlight for pay while working for the FDA? I figured there might be some conflict of interest or some other prohibition.

Thanks for the responses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm in academics in a pediatric sub specialty. I am burned out on seeing patients. I have felt that I have lost some of empathy for my patients and really didn't like that. I also grew increasingly tired of my substantial call responsibilities. I talked to some people who had moved to Fed work (NIH, CMS, and FDA) and they seemed happy. Add that to the fact that there was a decent pay bump from what I was making and it seemed like a no-brainer, no call or weekend and more money. I guess it just seems like a big jump and I'm getting a small case of cold feet and wanted some reassurance.

Leave Children's National and leave DC. Medicine is broken here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm in academics in a pediatric sub specialty. I am burned out on seeing patients. I have felt that I have lost some of empathy for my patients and really didn't like that. I also grew increasingly tired of my substantial call responsibilities. I talked to some people who had moved to Fed work (NIH, CMS, and FDA) and they seemed happy. Add that to the fact that there was a decent pay bump from what I was making and it seemed like a no-brainer, no call or weekend and more money. I guess it just seems like a big jump and I'm getting a small case of cold feet and wanted some reassurance.

Leave Children's National and leave DC. Medicine is broken here.

If FDA pays you more than clinical work, you are really really underpaid.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Not at DC Children's, would move from out of state. Moving to DC gets us closer to family on the East Coast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm in academics in a pediatric sub specialty. I am burned out on seeing patients. I have felt that I have lost some of empathy for my patients and really didn't like that. I also grew increasingly tired of my substantial call responsibilities. I talked to some people who had moved to Fed work (NIH, CMS, and FDA) and they seemed happy. Add that to the fact that there was a decent pay bump from what I was making and it seemed like a no-brainer, no call or weekend and more money. I guess it just seems like a big jump and I'm getting a small case of cold feet and wanted some reassurance.

Leave Children's National and leave DC. Medicine is broken here.

If FDA pays you more than clinical work, you are really really underpaid.

Welcome to the world of pediatric sub specialties...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I don't need great pay. I'm happy with the better work-life balance. I looked at industry, but thought I would try this out for the experience. I actually think I may like it better and like the idea of keeping a clinic. I plan on doing the clinic one day a week. Can you actually moonlight for pay while working for the FDA? I figured there might be some conflict of interest or some other prohibition.

Thanks for the responses.

No people at the FDA teach classes or have clinic hours. The conflict of interest comes if you start consulting for drug or device companies or own stock in them.

[Anonymous]

how much is expected salary for a fresh out-of-fellowship medical officer at the fda? if you do one clinic a week, can you keep income from that day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I don't need great pay. I'm happy with the better work-life balance. I looked at industry, but thought I would try this out for the experience. I actually think I may like it better and like the idea of keeping a clinic. I plan on doing the clinic one day a week. Can you actually moonlight for pay while working for the FDA? I figured there might be some conflict of interest or some other prohibition.

Thanks for the responses.

No people at the FDA teach classes or have clinic hours. The conflict of interest comes if you start consulting for drug or device companies or own stock in them.

I have heard the clinicians might be able to see patients under some circumstances, but don't know for sure. You will need to have your finances/stocks reviewed and divest yourself of drug/food companies.

[Anonymous]

There are people at fda who see patients but I've heard they have to volunteer their time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I figure it would only take a year or two to figure out if you didn't like it. In that amount of time it would be fairly easy to go back to clinical medicine.