I am currently a fifth year medical student in Europe, working part time at a lab on cell morphology, teaching biology to high school students and freelancing doing data science in my spare time. My study record so far is great and my supervisors and I have published two papers. Doing research is enjoyable and my current supervisor is willing to strongly recommend me as a candidate for a PhD position. Of course, he would also like me to stay at the current lab.

Lately I have been thinking about alternatives to residency or a PhD program. Even though I could be a doctor, I find research and problem solving more satisfying. Yet a PhD as well as a career in academia does not seem to be financially sustainable in the long-run. Even worse, in my country research‘s just outright bureaucratic.

Since discovering and creating new things motivates me, I have been considering that a startup could be possible. I see multiple problems in medicine that I feel could be solved and I guess that could be a start? Also, working with R is satisfying and I have been considering about becoming a data scientist.

My question is: what other options could I explore after my master‘s? Has anyone else shifted out of medicine after finishing medschool? What did you do?

Thanks!