When you go to medical school, it’s likely that you already have an idea of the direction you want to take. Most people who go do so because they want to become a doctor and they have a very specific idea of what that means. However, being aware of the different options available to you is important regardless of what career you decide to go into.

When you feel like spreading your wings or going into something different, you’ll be glad you’re aware that these paths exist.

The traditional route

If you’re in medical school, then it’s likely you want to work in healthcare as a physician. To that end, it’s important to understand the route that you’re most likely to go through if you stick to the traditional career path.

Getting an internship is essential to earn your license, after which many tend to stay on at the practice they got their internship if they don’t move to a different one.

From there, you might have the opportunity to further educate yourself and specialize in many different fields, from audiology and cardiology to medical genetics or spinal surgery. Even in a traditional path, there’s a lot of wiggle room.

Work where you’re needed

When you have your license, you don’t necessarily have to stick to one place, either. There are options that involve traveling more, which includes being part of a locum tenens physician staffing team.

That gives you the opportunity to work all across the country, to see different working environments and the cultures of different organizations and practices.

When you’re still fresh in the game, it can be a great way to develop a broader understanding of what your work life might look like. It can also be a great way to develop versatility and adaptability.

Hit the lab

You can take that expertise and let it truly shine in an environment where there are much fewer patients if that’s your weak point. There’s a lot of good to be done by medical lab technicians and academic physicians.

There’s also a lot of money to be made in the lab if you work with pharmaceutical companies, too, running trials and helping to create the medicine that can have the most impact on the treatment of all kinds of diseases.

Make your own mark

It’s a step that most physicians consider taking only when they’ve had the time to build experience and knowledge not only of medicine but of administration, management, and marketing. Running your own private practice enables you more control over your methods and environment but it’s also a lot more demanding.

The choices you make in running a business not only impacts your success on the market but also your reputation as a physician ever-after. It’s a risky step, but those bold enough to take can enjoy that aforementioned freedom as well as greater control over the profits produced by their work.

There are a lot of other routes besides those mentioned here. You can specialize in a certain field or you can apply your knowledge and qualifications in a completely different field.

This post has been contributed by Ryan Gatt, it may contain affiliate links.