To celebrate groundbreaking and changemaking women, we are launching our #HereForHer campaign through May—highlighting the amazing contributions women have made to medicine and those who are impacting communities today.
Who are we #HereFor this week? Dr. Heidi Moawad is a neurologist and regular columnist on Sermo. Her posts and discussions are continually some of our most popular features. She is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and completed her neurology residency at the University of Chicago Hospital.
Currently a clinical assistant professor at CWRU School of Medicine and a member of the Sermo Medical Advisory Board, Dr. Moawad is a prolific writer and editor of medical content. She is also the author of Careers Beyond Clinical Medicine where she helps doctors build careers outside of practicing medicine.
We sat down with Dr. Moawad to learn more about her work with HCPs and how best to start the next chapter of your life.
Her experience helping doctors outside clinical careers
More than just a clinical provider, Dr. Moawad has worked in many facets of medicine including healthcare utilization, medical writing, payer consulting, undergraduate and medical education, and healthcare grant evaluation. She created nonclinicaldoctors.com to help doctors discover entrepreneurial paths and non-clinical opportunities.
Through her work, Dr. Moawad provides in-depth and detailed instructions for doctors about non-clinical careers. As a Sermo Medical Advisory Board member, she further amplifies physicians’ voices and steers conversations toward a more holistic view of HCPs beyond just their career and time spent practicing medicine.
Dr. Moawad Q&A:
Tell us briefly about your work with HCPs, specifically women, who make the leap to non-clinical fields of work.
I have met so many HCPs who want to consider non-clinical fields of work at conferences and meetings. Usually, HCPs who transition to non-clinical work use the personal experience of taking care of sick patients to improve an aspect of healthcare. When you have seen things in clinical practice—like patient uncertainty, fear, relief, and so many other emotions—you can apply that in non-clinical aspects of medicine to contribute in strong impactful ways that ultimately fill real gaps.
It can take some time to find the right fit in a non-clinical field. It is more straightforward to work in patient care, and the majority of doctors prefer taking care of patients over anything else. So usually doctors who work in a non-clinical setting have decided that it is worth the extra effort it takes to find a good position. On the practical side, non-clinical work is usually more flexible and compensates well, so there’s usually a quality-of-life aspect to the decision too.
What is your point of view as it relates to starting new chapters in life and not being defined by your present? Do you have a quote you like to reference (whether it’s yours or someone else’s)?
I know the book is now a little old but “Who Moved My Cheese?” was a really inspirational story for me about the reality of change and how it’s almost impossible to stay stagnant for long. I feel that many experiences in life, even seemingly boring or routine experiences, are opportunities to learn about yourself and others so you can think about new and better ways of doing things without necessarily totally reinventing the wheel.
What is one thing about you that your patients could never guess (e.g., you are an expert at karaoke or can remember every president in order)?
I really love buckeyes. They are an amazing dessert that is all over the place in Ohio, but I have never seen them anywhere else.
About Non Clinical Doctors
For some physicians, patient care is the only professional goal. But many doctors have career goals beyond clinical work. Whether doctors want to combine their clinical practice with non-clinical work or want to transition completely out of patient care, Non Clinical Doctors is where they will find clear, detailed, step-by-step guidance and resources to reach their professional potential. Explore nonclinicaldoctors.com to learn how to find a path beyond clinical medicine.
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