Careers in Medicine: An Introduction
A NextGen Pathways in Medicine Article
Two centuries ago, it was not uncommon for doctors in America to simultaneously assume a variety of roles in their communities: physician, clergyman, artisan, and politician, to name a few. Today, the community of medicine is larger and more connected, within health care and beyond health care – so much so that there are few aspects of life that are not connected to the maintenance and betterment of health. It should come as no surprise, then, that physicians are applying their myriad skills in many areas. Although premedical and medical students may initially aspire to become doctors primarily with desires to provide care to patients, physicians may find themselves engaged in a variety of roles and in a variety of settings beyond the traditional role of patient care.
The Pathways Through Medicine series aims to help guide medical students along the many paths they may take and through the many decisions that await them. This section, Careers in Medicine, aims to illustrate the destinations, whether temporary (for a few years) or permanent (for the remainder of one's medical career), where physicians can apply their skills and energy to make a difference in the world of medicine, often beyond the scale of the clinical work of a single physician. 
Academic - Research
Academic - Teaching
Private Practice
Lester Leung is Editor-in-Chief of the Next Generation and a member of the Harvard College Class of 2006.