While practicing medicine, professionals in the field as with any other field could run into complications because of the lack of resources, personal life commitments, and much more. This could be the cause of certain limitations such as a lack of residency experience. 

For physicians, it can be quite challenging to find a job without residency experience since most jobs for physicians require them to have a medical license, which is obtained through residency. There can be other limitations to finding jobs for physicians without residency, such as:

  • Started, but didn’t complete residency
  • No board certificate
  • Disability

If you face any of these limitations, know that there are options for you. Let us explore them in detail.

Different Types of Certifications and Jobs for Physicians Without Residency

  1. Research – This is a very competitive field and requires a post-doctorate degree. Most of the institutions with post-doctorate training programs offer a stipend for researching in a lab. In most cases, this does not require a residency, and one can even train while researching.
  2. Specialist in Poison Information (SPI) – Doctors can work in a poison control center while training and getting paid. This training can provide them with the experience needed to take up certification exams and obtain a license.
  3. Emergency Medical Technicians – This field can prove to be of great advantage for physicians without residency. These doctors provide emergency healthcare and transportation to patients. However, you must have certain training as an MD and specific certifications to pursue this field.
  4. Personal Trainers – These specialists offer coaching and fitness counseling to patients. Fitness trainers must have certain certifications which are specified here.

Apart from these fields, here are a few other jobs for physicians without residency. Please remember that they require some certifications which you can find out more information about on the pages of the related authorities in the US:

  • Physician Assistant
  • Certified Surgical Technologist (requires CSFA training and certification)
  • Certified surgical first assistants (requires CSFA training and certification)
  • Certified anesthesiologist assistants
  • Diagnostic medical sonography (requires certification through American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography)
  • Ultrasound technicians
  • Genetic Counselor
  • Electrodiagnostic medicine technicians
  • Massage therapy
  • Transcriptionists or translators

Apart from these jobs, here are a few other options for MDs and physicians without residency that fall outside the practice of medicine:

  1. Scientific Writer – For physicians wanting to work for medical companies, pharma companies, etc., scientific and technical writing is a great job. You can write about clinical trials reports, grants, studies, applications for review and approval of safety inserts and new products, and much more. Having proficiency in the domain is a must, hence if you have an MD but don’t have a residency, this can be a rewarding job.
  2. Medical Editor – This is another domain in the content industry where you can get jobs for physicians without residency. Many medical journals and textbook publishers employ editors with a medical background to edit their content. A background in copyediting and copywriting is a plus.
  3. Medical Instruction – Another career path for physicians without residency can be teaching in medical institutions. Most of the science departments in universities offer full-time jobs for research with teaching courses. Research is often given the primary focus with limited time allotted to teaching. Researchers in medical institutions then go on to obtain grants and funding for their projects. Medical institutions also provide teaching jobs with zero obligation for research. These institutions are nursing schools, community colleges, and medical schools.

Time to Find a Job

Now that you have this exhaustive list of job options to choose from, it is time to decide which career path you can take as a physician without residency. There are many more options such as chart review jobs, medical-legal work, and more that you can opt for. Just know that not having a residency does not mean there are not enough job options available for you.