Upon further questioning, what they often really want is something that pays just as well (or better) than clinical medicine, but that is much easier to do.
The good news is that physicians are generally paid enough that if they can live a middle-class lifestyle during their career and in retirement, they can retire completely a decade out of residency.
The best option for most physicians is simply to fix whatever it is about their job that they do not like. That might mean dropping a portion of their clinical practice, cutting back on shifts or hours, or changing jobs to one with a slower pace.
Perhaps the best pathway out of medicine is becoming an entrepreneur. Unfortunately, there is some risk here. Most small businesses fail, and most small businessmen make less than a physician.
Many physicians transition out of medicine completely into a new profession. This often requires another degree or training, such as a JD, an MBA, or a financial advisor certification.
The vast majority of doctors who leave clinical medicine don’t have the interest or skills necessary to be successful as an entrepreneur, nor the money required to move into an “encore career.”
They tend to go work for healthcare-related pursuits involving a diverse set of interests such as medical writing, resource utilization, health insurance, medico-legal work, pharma, or managed care.