---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a medical doctor who chose a career in…"
description: "\"As a medical doctor who chose a career in artificial heart technology rather than clinical practice, I decided not to take an internship, which is requ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/robert-jarvik-29075_affair_as-a-medical-doctor-who-chose-a-career-i_1861268.jpg"
---

#  As a medical doctor who chose a career in artificial heart…

![“As a medical doctor who chose a career in artificial heart technology rather than clinical practice, I decided not to take an internship, which is required for licensing. Instead, I work with invention, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and clinical application of artificial hearts.” quote by Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/robert-jarvik-29075_affair_as-a-medical-doctor-who-chose-a-career-i_1861268.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/robert-jarvik-29075_affair_as-a-medical-doctor-who-chose-a-career-i_1861268.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/robert-jarvik-29075_affair_as-a-medical-doctor-who-chose-a-career-i_1861268.jpg)

> “As a medical doctor who chose a career in artificial heart technology rather than clinical practice, I decided not to take an internship, which is required for licensing. Instead, I work with invention, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and clinical application of artificial hearts.”

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker chose a non‑clinical path in artificial heart technology, bypassing traditional licensing to focus on invention and regulation.

**In simple terms:** He pursued engineering and regulatory work instead of clinical practice.

Key Takeaway

Consider alternative routes to impact in medicine.

Themes

career choice innovation medical technology regulation non‑clinical paths

Mood

reflective pragmatic

Type

career educational

When to use this quote

- medical research
- entrepreneurship
- career counseling

Key Concepts

artificial heart invention manufacturing regulatory affairs

Questions to Reflect On

- What skills are essential for non‑clinical medical roles?
- How can you bridge clinical and technical expertise?

A Different Perspective

Skipping clinical training may limit patient interaction experience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Doctor who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor-who/) [Doctors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctors/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Internships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internships/) [Invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invention/) [Medical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical/) [Medical doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical-doctor/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [I am, in fact, a medical doctor; I am a world expert in mechanical heart technology; and I am an athletically fit man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/i-am-in-fact-a-medical-doctor-i-am-a-world-expert-in-mechanical-heart/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [We've got a duty to die and get out of the way with all of our machines and artificial hearts and everything else like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lamm/we-ve-got-a-duty-to-die-and-get-out-of-the-way-with-all-of-our/)

[Richard Lamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lamm/)

> [...Lag...occurred between an initial discovery and its effective clinical application. We analyzed 111 such lags: 8% amounted to 0.1 to 1 year; another 18%…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-h-comroe-jr/lag-occurred-between-an-initial-discovery-and-its-effective-clinical/)

Julius H. Comroe, Jr

> [The artificial heart is very effective as a bridge to transplant, but the number of people that can be saved with human hearts is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/the-artificial-heart-is-very-effective-as-a-bridge-to-transplant-but/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [“...numbers rule our lives. Indeed, they lie at the heart of our technology.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislas-dehaene/numbers-rule-our-lives-indeed-they-lie-at-the-heart-of-our-technology/)

[Stanislas Dehaene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislas-dehaene/)

> [The bottom line is, until we're helping people to stop smoking, screening for breast cancer, giving Pap smears, giving prenatal care to pregnant women,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lamm/the-bottom-line-is-until-we-re-helping-people-to-stop-smoking/)

[Richard Lamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lamm/)

> [I would have picked up the artificial heart and thrown it on the floor and walked out and said he's dead if the press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-devries/i-would-have-picked-up-the-artificial-heart-and-thrown-it-on-the/)

William DeVries

> [Of the many 'firsts' with which I have been involved at the Texas Heart Institute —including the first successful human heart transplant in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denton-cooley/of-the-many-firsts-with-which-i-have-been-involved-at-the-texas-heart/)

[Denton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denton-cooley/)

> [“A brick could be used in a heart transplant operation. And for just $25,000 more dollars, that brick could be switched with a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-brick-could-be-used-in-a-heart-transplant-operation-and-for-just-25/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“I had a dream about you. We installed Dr. Robert Jarvik’s artificial heart in a mannequin and brought it to life, only to later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dark-jar-tin-zoo/i-had-a-dream-about-you-we-installed-dr-robert-jarvik-s-artificial/)

Dark Jar Tin Zoo

> [“A brick could be inserted in your chest in place of your heart. And for just a couple thousand dollars more, an artificial heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-brick-could-be-inserted-in-your-chest-in-place-of-your-heart-and/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [ \[I\] could see how nervous everybody was in the beginning and how silent it was when we had trouble with the artificial heart \[during… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-devries/i-could-see-how-nervous-everybody-was-in-the-beginning-and-how-silent/)

William DeVries

> [Each time I had an internship to do or an essay to write, I would always do it in the field of cinema. Nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bidegain/each-time-i-had-an-internship-to-do-or-an-essay-to-write-i-would/)

[Thomas Bidegain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bidegain/)

> [To me, mentorships and internships are two big pillars in business development. I believe in having multiple mentors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-carter/to-me-mentorships-and-internships-are-two-big-pillars-in-business/)

[Troy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-carter/)

> [And what is needed to prevent them from joining gangs was ample recreation for boys as well as girls, jobs and internships for training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-scott/and-what-is-needed-to-prevent-them-from-joining-gangs-was-ample/)

[Bobby Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-scott/)

## More by Robert Jarvik

> [Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/leaders-are-visionaries-with-a-poorly-developed-sense-of-fear-and-no/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [I knew that my father was going to die of heart disease, and I was trying to make a heart for him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/i-knew-that-my-father-was-going-to-die-of-heart-disease-and-i-was/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [There is a clear matter that I am not a practicing physician; I have never been a practitioner; everybody has known for decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/there-is-a-clear-matter-that-i-am-not-a-practicing-physician-i-have/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [Lipitor is one of the most researched medicines. I'm glad I take Lipitor, as a doctor, and a dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/lipitor-is-one-of-the-most-researched-medicines-i-m-glad-i-take/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [The artificial heart is very effective as a bridge to transplant, but the number of people that can be saved with human hearts is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/the-artificial-heart-is-very-effective-as-a-bridge-to-transplant-but/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [Our ad campaign with Pfizer is educational. Lipitor is the most widely prescribed drug in the country. For every prescription, there is a doctor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/our-ad-campaign-with-pfizer-is-educational-lipitor-is-the-most-widely/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [This idea that clumsy, stumbling people are real bright is ridiculous, because intelligence is related to neurologic function, and really intelligent people are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/this-idea-that-clumsy-stumbling-people-are-real-bright-is-ridiculous/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [There is a clear matter that I am not a practicing physician. I have never been a practitioner; everybody has known for decades. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/there-is-a-clear-matter-that-i-am-not-a-practicing-physician-i-have-2/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [The United States has an active pharmaceutical industry that has brought huge benefits to the U.S. public. Most Americans, who benefit from these advances,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/the-united-states-has-an-active-pharmaceutical-industry-that-has/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [I am, in fact, a medical doctor; I am a world expert in mechanical heart technology; and I am an athletically fit man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/i-am-in-fact-a-medical-doctor-i-am-a-world-expert-in-mechanical-heart/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [As spokesman for Lipitor, I have been an advocate of preventive medicine in addition to my work with the Jarvik 2000 Heart, which has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/as-spokesman-for-lipitor-i-have-been-an-advocate-of-preventive/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [I am a medical scientist, not a practical physician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/i-am-a-medical-scientist-not-a-practical-physician/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [I do not practice clinical medicine and hence do not treat individual patients. My career is in medical science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/i-do-not-practice-clinical-medicine-and-hence-do-not-treat-individual/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [“Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear, and no concept of the odds against them. They make the impossible happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/leaders-are-visionaries-with-a-poorly-developed-sense-of-fear-and-no-2/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

> [I am a medical scientist, not a practical physician. I think it's very upfront. I am a doctor. I have long experience with heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/i-am-a-medical-scientist-not-a-practical-physician-i-think-it-s-very/)

[Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

[Explore all 18 Robert Jarvik quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/)

## More Affair quotes

> [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/)

[Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/)

> [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/)

[Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/)

> [Our guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gropius/our-guiding-principle-was-that-design-is-neither-an-intellectual-nor/)

[Walter Gropius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gropius/)

> [I wonder if it's possible to have a love affair that lasts forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/i-wonder-if-it-s-possible-to-have-a-love-affair-that-lasts-forever/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

> [For a young man to start his career with a love affair with an older woman was quite de rigueur ... Of course, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vita-sackville-west/for-a-young-man-to-start-his-career-with-a-love-affair-with-an-older/)

[Vita Sackville-West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vita-sackville-west/)

> [As long as the state permits itself to interfere in the affairs of literature, literature has the right to interfere with the affairs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/as-long-as-the-state-permits-itself-to-interfere-in-the-affairs-of/)

[Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/)

> [Love is mainly an affair of short spasms. If these spasms disappoint us, love dies. It is very seldom that it weathers the experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/love-is-mainly-an-affair-of-short-spasms-if-these-spasms-disappoint/)

[Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/)

> [The Fundamental Principle that governs - or ought to govern -human affairs if we wish to avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, or pointless utopias, is negotiation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-fundamental-principle-that-governs-or-ought-to-govern-human/)

[Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/)

> [My hope does not rest in the affairs of this world. It rests in Christ who is coming again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/my-hope-does-not-rest-in-the-affairs-of-this-world-it-rests-in-christ/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [In 1953, the United States played a significant role in orchestrating the overthrow of Iran's popular prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh. The Eisenhower administration believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/in-1953-the-united-states-played-a-significant-role-in-orchestrating/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [Not everyone likes the stable, gradual rise of our country. There are some who are using the democratic ideology to interfere in our internal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/not-everyone-likes-the-stable-gradual-rise-of-our-country-there-are/)

[Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/)

> [The archives recall not one single incriminating incident, not one drunken escapade, not one reported affair, not one spat with a team-mate or reporter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atherton/the-archives-recall-not-one-single-incriminating-incident-not-one/)

Michael Atherton

> [“I ripped the sketch from the wall. "Liar." Edward looked more ravaged than usual. "That is a terrible word, coming from you." "Yup." "And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/i-ripped-the-sketch-from-the-wall-liar-edward-looked-more-ravaged/)

[Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/)

> [For some people, a one-night stand doesn't make any difference in a seven-year love affair. I don't believe the degree of betrayal is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/for-some-people-a-one-night-stand-doesn-t-make-any-difference-in-a/)

[Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/)

> [And what is literature, Rabo," he said, "but an insider's newsletter about affairs relating to molecules, of no importance to anything in the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-what-is-literature-rabo-he-said-but-an-insider-s-newsletter-about/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

[Browse all 2,218 Affair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "As a medical doctor who chose a career in artificial heart technology rather than clinical practice, I decided not to take an internship, which is required for licensing. Instead, I work with invention, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and clinical application of artificial hearts.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Jarvik"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/as-a-medical-doctor-who-chose-a-career-in-artificial-heart-technology/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Affair"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/as-a-medical-doctor-who-chose-a-career-in-artificial-heart-technology/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/robert-jarvik-29075_affair_as-a-medical-doctor-who-chose-a-career-i_1861268.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/robert-jarvik-29075_affair_as-a-medical-doctor-who-chose-a-career-i_1861268.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/robert-jarvik-29075_affair_as-a-medical-doctor-who-chose-a-career-i_1861268.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As a medical doctor who chose a career in artificial heart technology rather than clinical practice, I…” — Robert Jarvik",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Robert Jarvik",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "As a medical doctor who chose...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/as-a-medical-doctor-who-chose-a-career-in-artificial-heart-technology/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/as-a-medical-doctor-who-chose-a-career-in-artificial-heart-technology/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
