Question 19 of 20 · Careers and specialties

Careers beyond becoming a physician

Is an MD or DO the best way to reach what you actually want?

1 min read · Well measured today

Meaningful contributions to health span nursing, public health, biomedical engineering, device design, clinical informatics, computational biology, clinical science, health economics, policy and entrepreneurship. MedStride will tell you if one of these fits your goals better than medical school.

What we can measure today

Established now
BLS May 2025 median pay: physician assistants $135,880, with 21% projected growth from 2025 to 2035.
What this does not prove: A snapshot and a projection.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Last modified August 27, 2026
Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physician Assistants
Scope: United States.
How it was done: Federal employment and wage statistics. Pay is the May 2025 median, half earn more and half earn less. Growth is a 2025 to 2035 projection.
Limits: A median across all ages, regions and employers, before tax. A projection, not a promise. It tells you nothing about one person's income.
Checked against the original on November 6, 2026.
Open the source (opens in a new tab)
Established now
BLS May 2025 median pay: nurse anesthetists, midwives and practitioners $134,920, with 36% projected growth from 2025 to 2035.
What this does not prove: A snapshot and a projection. These roles may face their own automation pressures.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Last modified October 29, 2026
Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners
Scope: United States.
How it was done: Federal employment and wage statistics. Pay is the May 2025 median, half earn more and half earn less. Growth is a 2025 to 2035 projection.
Limits: A median across all ages, regions and employers, before tax. A projection, not a promise. It tells you nothing about one person's income.
Checked against the original on November 6, 2026.
Open the source (opens in a new tab)
Established now
BLS May 2025 median pay: biomedical engineers $109,370, with 8% projected growth from 2025 to 2035.
What this does not prove: A snapshot and a projection.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Last modified August 27, 2026
Occupational Outlook Handbook: Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
Scope: United States.
How it was done: Federal employment and wage statistics. Pay is the May 2025 median, half earn more and half earn less. Growth is a 2025 to 2035 projection.
Limits: A median across all ages, regions and employers, before tax. A projection, not a promise. It tells you nothing about one person's income.
Checked against the original on November 6, 2026.
Open the source (opens in a new tab)

What may change

New hybrid occupations.
Different credentials and new ways into them.

What may endure

Your motivations, and your desire to do useful work.

The hard questions

Is the MD or DO the best means to my goal?
What alternatives give me more options with less debt?

Evidence worth watching

Accredited programs · Placements · Skills demand · Emerging roles

Sources last checked November 6, 2026

Next review by February 6, 2027.

What changed, and how we decide

Career guidance, not medical, legal or financial advice. For a major loan or licensing decision, talk with a qualified professional, and bring your questions from here.

Do you disagree?

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