Medical doctors are the latest in a growing group of doctors who are abandoning the traditional profession to work in other areas, including social work, education, and technology.
Dr. James B. Ketchum, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, recently told Vice News that the decision to work outside the traditional medical practice is driven by the growing demands of our growing digital society.
“The world is so interconnected, we’re in this constant loop,” Ketchamp told Vice.
“What’s more, we have the ability to go from being doctors to social workers, to software engineers, to accountants, to data scientists.
And these are all jobs that require an extensive knowledge of the human body.”
Brought up in a religious family, Ketcham said he was deeply affected by his father’s death, and he felt compelled to do whatever he could to help others.
He took on social work as a child, and eventually earned his doctorate from the University in 2011.
“I’m a social worker, not a doctor,” Kettlemon said.
“But I am a doctor.
And my job is to help people, to serve as a surrogate parent for my community.”
The move to tech is a trend that has taken place across the world.
A recent survey of 3,000 physicians found that over half of them have made the transition to a more tech-centric life, with only 5% of those who are practicing still saying they had previously attended the traditional doctorate.
In some countries, doctors are choosing to work with social media platforms to create digital experiences, like helping with the coronavirus response.
Drs.
Kavanagh and Beddow have said they plan to continue working as doctors, but their main focus will be on helping other physicians in their communities and the world at large.
“It’s not about changing the way I think about medicine,” Beddows said.
Instead, it’s about helping others to have better experiences, both in their own lives and in their work.
“As doctors, we are a reflection of humanity,” Kavanah said.
