3 High-Paying Non-Physician Medical Career Pathways The healthcare sector is an industry that continues to thrive despite economic volatility, with an ever-expanding suite of career opportunities and consistent demand of manpower. Whilst the career pathway of a physician is traditionally thought of as the answer to high-earning power in the industry, a myriad of professions in the medical field are catching up in terms of pay scale. Here’s a snapshot of 3 non-clinical medical career pathways with promising paycheque and what they may entail: 1. Medical Science Liaison Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) play a vital role in the success of a company in the pharmaceutical industry. Deemed as boundary-spanners, MSLs serve as the scientific experts to their internal colleagues while forming strategic peer-to-peer relationships with key Opinion Leaders - commonly the leading clinicians or physicians in health or academic institutions. In addition to excellent interpersonal and communication skills, being an MSL also requires one to possess advanced academic credentials such as a doctorate degree in life sciences. A few years of experience in medical affairs and clinical areas is almost indispensable to get your foot through the door. Although the competition for MSL positions may be stiff, securing an employment can translate into travel opportunities as well as a fulfilling and lucrative career that will commensurate with years of experience. 2. Clinical Research Associate Clinical Research Associates (CRAs) typically work for pharmaceutical companies or contract research organizations. They are involved in the technicalities and coordination of all stages of a clinical trial from protocol development, trial design to the preparation of manuscript for publications. A degree or preferably a postgraduate qualification in life sciences is a prerequisite for employment; not to mention good understanding in guidelines and regulatory requirements, as well as excellent skills in communication, organization and IT. A CRA can move up into different levels along the career pathway namely CRA Level I, II and III. Large bump-ups in salaries await for those promoted to Clinical Trial Manager. 3. Regulatory Affair Specialist Regulatory affair (RA) specialists are the key liaisons between regulatory authorities and pharmaceutical companies. Their primary role lies in handling the lifecycle of a medical product, from its inception to obtaining approval for marketing and post-marketing follow up. This typically entails reviewing and writing documents which can be hundreds of pages long. The job as an RA specialist is not only difficult to land ; it is an incredibly demanding job that requires detailed work, excellent writing skills, and good understanding of the healthcare business landscape, legislation, and analytic procedures. Job experience of at least a few years in the industry, along with a degree in Pharmacy or life sciences are prerequisites in this career line. Whilst the responsibilities are heavy as the career progresses, the rewards can be equally, if not more significant. Of course, there are plenty of high paying medical jobs beyond the scope of this article. After all, a successful career that comes with a good paycheque in the healthcare industry does necessarily require direct patient care or needs to be associated with medical provision per se. If you are a healthcare professional contemplating a non-clinical role without compromising your salary, perhaps it is time to take a step back, re-evaluate your interests, and leverage on your strengths to land your dream job beyond clinical settings. Source
