Exam Room to Boardroom: The Path to Physician Leadership Jobs
By: Dirk Jansson
October 30, 2024
A new report from Jackson Physician Search and the Medical Group Management Association reveals that despite solid interest among physicians, opportunities for leadership development are few and far between. According to the research, just 18% of physician respondents said they had access to any formal business or administrative training during medical school, and only 21% of respondents said their organizations offered formal physician leadership training programs. So, how can physicians get the training and development required to become the kind of physician leaders the industry needs? While there is no single answer to this question, this article will provide options for those interested in pursuing the path to physician leadership.
The Paths to Physician Leadership Jobs
As Director of Physician Executive Recruitment for Jackson Physician Search, I regularly speak to physicians pursuing leadership positions, and their backgrounds are as varied as the organizations they’ve worked for. In addition to an MD or DO, many have Master’s degrees in Business, Health Administration, and/or Public Health. Others have certifications, such as the Certified Physician Executive from the American Association of Physician Leaders (AAPL). Alternatively, some have simply learned business and leadership skills on the job by taking on more and more responsibility until they eventually earn leadership titles. All of these examples represent valid paths to physician leadership jobs in today’s healthcare landscape.
This contrasts with the corporate world, where the path to leadership involves climbing a fairly straightforward corporate ladder — one starts as an associate, gets promoted to manager, then director, and eventually a VP. Someone with an MBA may even make it to the C-suite. With each promotion, responsibility grows, and compensation increases.
Requirements for Physician Leaders
For physicians, the requirements for leadership are not quite as clear. According to the survey, just 6% of respondents say their organizations require physician leaders to have advanced degrees or certifications (beyond an MD or DO), and 27% said it depends on the role. Among organizations that do require degrees or certifications beyond the MD or DO, a Master’s in Business Administration was the most commonly cited requirement, followed by a Master’s in Health Administration and then a Master’s in Public Health. C-level roles are most likely to require an advanced degree or certification.
Perhaps more critical than degrees or certifications is a physician’s amount of clinical experience. Survey respondents agree that physician leaders need clinical experience, but how much is needed varies. Physicians not currently in leadership roles tend to believe fewer years of experience are needed, while physicians in leadership positions are likelier to say more years are required. Regarding executive positions, nearly a quarter of respondents (23%) said 4-5 years is enough experience, while another quarter (28%) said 11-15 years is preferable. Most other respondents selected the answer in between, saying 6-10 years of experience is ideal.
Pursuing the Longer Path to Become a Physician Executive
Physicians are drawn to leadership roles for a variety of reasons. However, the notable challenges facing healthcare executives today may discourage even the most driven physicians from pursuing this path. Even if they do, they may only want to go so far. In the new research, 67% of physicians expressed interest in leadership positions, but that interest waned when asked about system-level executive positions, including chief executive (18%) and other executive titles (28%). Executive jobs at the clinic, practice, or hospital level are slightly more appealing, with one-third of physicians expressing interest in leadership at that level.
The increasingly complex challenges healthcare leaders must face may indeed be a deterrent, but the fact that the path to becoming a physician leader is not well defined is also problematic. I advise physicians interested in leadership not to limit themselves and to take a proactive approach to their development. Raise your hand to join committees and attend conferences. Seek out a mentor to help you learn and offer to serve as a peer mentor to new physicians. This demonstrates a willingness to help others develop, a critical part of managing others. I encourage physicians first to prove that they are engaged and helpful team members, then talk to their supervisors about their desire to lead, asking for guidance on the specific skills they need to develop.
The Industry Needs Physician Leaders
The path to physician leadership is not always clear and certainly isn’t easy. Whether by pursuing advanced degrees, certifications, or learning on the job, physicians must take charge of their training and development to become the leaders we need. The industry is counting on physician executives to steer organizations toward effective, sustainable solutions. However, until we adopt uniform standards and requirements for physician leaders, today’s physicians must chart their own course if they hope to become tomorrow’s leaders.
Do you have what it takes to be a physician leader, or are you a physician leader ready for a bigger role? The physician executive recruitment team at Jackson Physician Search is eager to learn more about you and share what we know about the current market. Reach out today or browse physician leadership jobs online now.