How to use a healthcare degree beyond the traditional clinical career path

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Two young women presenting on stage in a university lecture hall in front of a projection screen displaying "Health Opening Day", with students listening from the audience desks.
Health Opening Day, an event for students of medical and health-related programs, was held at WUM. It showed participants just how diverse their career paths could be after graduation. A medical degree does not necessarily mean working in a hospital, a pharmacy degree does not have to lead to a job in a pharmacy, and a nursing degree does not have to mean working in primary care.

The event was organized by students from the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) involved in the Healthcare Business Forum and the Student Government of the Faculty of Health Sciences, in cooperation with the SGH-WUM MBA in Healthcare program. The agenda included inspiring presentations and workshops.

The event centered on the question of what graduates of medical and health-related programs can do beyond the traditional clinical career path and how they can start building a career or business in the healthcare sector. Graduates of medical and health-related programs can also find opportunities in areas such as management, the implementation of innovations, and consulting. This was the message conveyed by the invited experts and speakers.

One degree, dozens of opportunities

The first presentation was delivered by Dr. Aleksandra Hyży, a graduate of our university, dietitian, and preventive health specialist. She encouraged the students attending the event to change the way they think about their careers: instead of viewing them as a “career ladder,” they should think of them as a “career map,” which means moving flexibly between different roles and sectors. 

“People say that, as new technologies develop, some professions will no longer exist in 30 years, while entirely new ones will emerge, many of which we cannot even imagine today. We should therefore focus not on following a continuous career path, but on development,” the speaker emphasized.

She then discussed 10 career paths open to graduates of medical and health-related programs, including opportunities in the pharmaceutical sector and clinical research, MedTech, HealthTech, consulting, and investment.

The audience also heard from Bartosz Kosiński, founder of Saude Concept, and Adam Sękowski, creator of the Visus VR startup. Both are graduates of nursing programs who spoke about running their own businesses and applying their nursing skills in areas of healthcare beyond clinical practice.

Dr. hab. Monika Raulinajtys-Grzybek, professor at SGH, discussed what modern leadership should look like and which entrepreneurial skills are valuable in the healthcare sector. Artur Białoszewski, who manages the SGH-WUM MBA in Healthcare program on behalf of our university, spoke about the skills that can be acquired during MBA studies.

Another speaker was Mateusz Pawełczuk, a graduate of our university, entrepreneur, founder of the Young Medic Academy, and co-founder of AIDA Diagnostics, a startup developing artificial intelligence solutions for blood management in hospitals. He shared some of his most costly mistakes and discussed the solutions that worked despite those setbacks. He offered advice on turning real clinical needs into viable technology products, the challenges of entering the medtech market, and how to scale solutions.

The presentations were followed by workshops in which participants learned how to set up their own businesses. The workshops were conducted in cooperation with the SGH-WUM MBA in Healthcare program. 

Why it is worth considering different options

Although it may seem that career paths for people with medical or health-related degrees are clearly defined, there are actually many more possibilities. Events like this help participants better understand the direction in which the job market is changing and prepare for a future that will require not only knowledge and specific professional qualifications, but also flexibility and soft skills.

“The most valuable aspect of this event is the opportunity to meet people who have successfully combined their medical education with innovation and entrepreneurship. Their experiences show how important it is to recognize new opportunities and remain open to change,” said Maria Jędrzejczyk, Chair of the Student Government of the Faculty of Health Sciences, in her summary of the event.
 

A medium close-up of two female presenters on stage, with one holding a microphone and reading from a printed sheet of paper under a presentation screen reading "Health Opening Day"
Female students seated at wooden tiered desks in a university lecture hall, listening attentively to a presentation
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Two female presenters standing on stage with microphones and folders, hosting an event in front of a projection screen.
Two female presenters standing on stage with microphones and folders, hosting an event in front of a projection screen.
Three panellists sitting on stage during a discussion panel titled "Od dyplomu do własnego biznesu", viewed from behind the seated audience.
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Students seated at light wooden desks in a classroom setting, listening to a workshop session.
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A young male student wearing glasses smiling directly at the camera while resting his chin on his hand in front of a laptop during a seminar.
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Female students engaged in a group discussion around a table during an interactive workshop.
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