Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a very common clinical tool that has its roots in pure physics academic research. Even as MRI has become a vast industrial powerhouse over the past several decades, its technical development community has maintained roots that cross between academia and industry. I will discuss my career path from MRI research in a doctoral program, through an industrial development program at General Electric, and now back to academia. The interplay of intellectual freedom, funding opportunities (or lack thereof), and general strategies on applied physics research will be discussed throughout. The scientific aspect of the talk will focus on some particular applications of basic physics principles that have allowed for impactful developments in clinical MRI application and basic science research. Finally, I will present my take on the future of physics careers in areas like medical imaging research.