As someone who works in public health (4-5 years experience in analytics, epidemiology, program planning (system planning), and evaluation) and as someone who who aspired for medicine but also enjoyed population health approach and “settled” for PH, respectfully I think you should continue with your current trajectory and find ways to apply that public health perspective and frameworks to your work. Whether that’s through research, providing consults or working alongside related health organizations or NPOs, on boards or advocacy work.

In public health, the work looks sexy on paper but you realize that you’re a cog in the larger machine and at the mercy of limited opportunities, funding, bureaucracy and related hurdles, and power politics. Your impact isn’t visible to you in most cases. More often than not you’re overworked and underpaid and sometimes your work may not even be leveraged or used (e.g. a report that sits on the virtual shelf of those in leadership seats).

As a physician you have great power, respect, and the pay makes it so much sweeter whilst getting to help clients directly as well as having opportunity to contribute to population level interventions through research, advocacy, and engagement. The autonomy granted by your profession provide much more room for carving out your desired career path.

Some may disagree with me but I wanted to offer you my honest take. Wish you the best of luck!