ACPE Career Q&A

Career tips to find a job and advance your career in medical management.
The most commonly asked questions about a career in medical management.

What is Medical Management?

Medical management is a rapidly growing and continually changing field. It is the field that integrates the knowledge, skills, ethics and values of medicine with the knowledge, skills, ethics and values of leadership and management. Practitioners in this field, generally called physician executives, have mastered the science and art of medicine and have then acquired the knowledge and skills of management. Physician executives are found in every sector of health care. They may be CEOs or chairs of departments. They have many different titles, but the most common are Vice President of Medical Affairs, Chief Medical Officers or Medical Directors. They may be in hospitals, group practices, managed care organizations, government service, industrial corporations, consulting firms, or individual entrepreneurial enterprises.

The size of the field or the number of physician executives engaged in medical management depends largely on how one chooses to define who is in and who is not. Some have said that all physicians engaged in clinical practice must manage that practice and are therefore physician executives. Others argue that only physicians engaged in full-time management roles should be counted as physician executives. Any arbitrary definition, in our opinion, serves no purpose other than to answer the question of, "How large is the field?" Our view is that the field is as few as 10,000 and as large as 100,000.

How can I get into the field?

It's the old story that you need experience to get into the field, but how do you get experience if you are not in the field. When recruiters call us asking for someone to fill a management position, they have what they call their base line requirements. They are:

The person must be board certified in a specialty, have practiced clinically at least 5 years, have good communication skills, and have management experience.

People get management experience by serving on and then leading committees in their hospital, group, IPA, etc-committees such as utilization review, quality assurance, strategic planning, credentialing, privileging. Sometimes they work part time for insurance companies or HMO's doing utilization review or quality assurance. Sometimes they go up the hierarchy in the medical staff. It is often necessary for physician executives to go up the management ranks in their own organizations (becoming department chairs, presidents of the medical staff, assistant medical directors, etc.) before they can move to another organization as full-time VPMAs, CMOs, or medical directors.

Click here for additional resources and readings on how to get into the field.

What education do I need to get a management job?

While management experience is the most important criterion for getting a full-time management job, management education can help you get the experience. If you want to serve on and then lead the Finance Committee, you need to know the terminology that other administrators know to be an effective team member. You can take ACPE's four day Finance Course and learn what you need to know. The Physician in Management Seminar is a program that gives you an overview of all management topics. ACPE offers various educational programs held throughout the United States and on the Internet.

Many have taken these courses to see if they are interested in the field. Those who are interested and want to know more have an array of courses they can take at their own pace. If you are taking courses, you could enroll in one of the degree programs just in case you decide you want to get a master's degree. You can complete a post graduate business degree through ACPE and in conjunction with one of three universities: Carnegie Mellon and University of Southern California offer the Master of Medical Management and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst offers an Online Part-Time MBA with a focus in Medical Management.

What will a degree do or not do for me?

When recruiters call us asking for someone to fill a medical management position, they have what they call their "base line requirements"—the person should be board certified in a specialty, have practiced clinically for at least 5 years, have good communication skills and have management experience.

A master's degree will help you do the medical management job, but it will not assure that you will get the job. It is the management experience that gets the job. So, if you decide to get a master's, you should also be positioning yourself to get the needed experience. However, if you aspire to the highest level of medical officer or executive officer positions, then a master's degree should definitely be in your plans.

What kind of master's degree should I get?

We recommend that you get the degree that is most convenient for your schedule and your pocketbook. Since you already have a prestigious terminal degree (the MD or DO), we have not found it is necessary for physician executives to go to one of the top ten schools or get a particular set of letters. Employers just want to see that you have received management education. Any of the letters (MPH, MHA, MMM, MBA, etc.) seem acceptable.

The MMM offered through ACPE and in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon, Tulane, or the University of Southern California or the online MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst provide a great deal of flexibility for getting the degree. The Master of Medical Management takes the best aspects of general MBA educational programming, then adds content unique to the issues and concerns of medical management. Designed by senior executives and nationally recognized faculty, the MMM focuses on the specific skills that CEOs, governing boards, and top managers look for in physician executives responsible for meeting health care organizations' unique demands.

The UMass online MBA in Medical Management features course work that concentrates on basic concepts, models, and research underlying disciplines of behavioral science, economics, and quantitative analytical methods. Practical courses demonstrate applications of those basic models across the spectrum of business disciplines: accounting, information management, finance, marketing, and human resources management.

How do I get experience?

Volunteer to serve on and lead committees. Let others see you managing people and information. Run short, efficient meetings that begin and end on time using an agenda that has been prepared in advance and distributed to the participants. Make compelling public presentations. If you are visible, energetic, and efficient, people will think of you when they have management tasks that need to be done. You may have to volunteer quite a bit before you get into a paid position.

Taking some educational courses such as the Physician in Management course can help you speak the language of management so you can get on committees and be influential. For example, if you have taken a course on Quality, you can speak the language that will be used in that committee.

What do I do if I'm not a primary care specialist?

In a recent on-line discussion about job searches, one anesthesiologist said recruiters would not consider him for positions because he was not in a primary care specialty. Another anesthesiologist immediately responded and said he had been in management for 25 years. The barrier of not being a primary care specialist is overcome most often by networking--you know someone who knows you are good at management tasks and, he or she recommends you for more of those tasks.
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How do I get my first part-time or full-time management job?

Stories abound about the power of networking. Everyone knows someone who got a job because they knew someone who led to it. Most can even tell you how it happened to them once or twice. It may have happened as far back as high school. With all the past evidence of the process working, we still often attribute the job-hunting success to luck and hate trying to make it happen again by talking to people about what we want. But it must be done. Go to meetings, tell people what you are doing and what you want to do without an air of desperation--that scares people off. Talk to your neighbor over the back fence, priest, rabbi, etc. Talk to medical school classmates who live where you would like to live.
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What is networking and how do I do it?

Networking is not just begging for a job when you need one; although, it is letting people know you are looking. It's ongoing, keeping up with people, staying in relationships, talking to others at meetings, calling occasionally to see how they are doing, writing a note of thanks when appropriate. Networking is also being visible. Without being obnoxious, let people see what you can do. Dress well, speak well, write for journals.

Volunteer to make a public presentation on some topic. Do a good job and give people valuable information. They'll remember you and think of you for a job. Larry Tyler, CEO of Tyler & Company, an executive search firm says, "I'd look at it more from the perspective of finding information. You use your network to locate places to sell your goods and services, you use it to gather the information necessary to do your job …and to live your life. Finding a job is just a subset." (Physician Executive Journal, Jan/Feb, 2000) Tyler’s book, the Heathcare Executives Job Search (2002), an excellent career guide, has a couple of other wise sayings, “Network or not work.” “It’s not just who you know—it is who knows you.”
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How do I contact recruiters and what will they do for me?

Reputable recruiters place classified ads in the Physician Executive Journal and on the ACPE CareerLink. Even if you are not interested in the particular positions you read about, you can still call the recruiters, tell them about your situation, what you are interested in, what part of the country you are willing to live in, and ask them to keep you in mind if they hear of something. You probably will talk to a research associate who will ask you to send a resume that can be put in their data bank. Blindly sending resumes to recruiters is rarely helpful in finding a job.
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What is the difference between a retained search firm and a contingency search firm?

There are two types of executives search firms--retained and contingency.
A retained search firm receives a significant portion of its fee as soon as the organization has agreed to hire them. For that they visit the hiring organization and get to know the key players, learn about the city and real estate, interview potential candidates in person, present 5-6 resumes from which the organizational leaders will choose two or three who will come for an interview.

Contingency firms send resumes to organizations and are paid when someone is placed in a position. They can send your resume to many organizations at one time. A retained search firm can only recommend you for one position at a time.
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How do I negotiate my salary and contract?

You will not get everything you want when negotiating a contract, so decide the items that are most important to you. Put all the items in a prioritized list, and be willing to give up some things at the bottom of the list. Decide which items you must have or you will not take the job. The organization should bring up the issue of money or the recruiting firm may already have told you the salary range. Some points to consider when negotiating a contract:

Performance Evaluation

How will your performance be evaluated?

Benefits offered by most organizations:

Relocation package:

Professional stature issues:

Written agreement:

Termination issues:

If you are getting ready to negotiate a contract, the following video lecture gives you good information and helps you get in the right frame of mind to do the negotiating.

Negotiating a Contract and Closing the Deal

In this one-hour video lecture, physician executive recruiter Sue Cejka, covers all of the major and minor details you need to consider when negotiating a contract - and how to get the best deal possible without alienating your potential employer.

Members: $55.00
Nonmembers: $150.00

What do I do if I'm fired?

With the many mergers and acquisitions that happen almost monthly, you can find yourself out of work even if you were doing a very good job. The new organization just doesn't need two people with the same title. Hopefully you have been staying in touch with your friends, attending to people in your network, whether by phone or letter, or at meetings. Now is when you call them again and tell them what your situation is and would they keep you in mind if they hear of anything. Also contact recruiters and let them know you are looking for a new position. You can post your resume at ACPE's CareerLink web site.
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How do I become certified in the field of medical management?

The Certifying Commission in Medical Management (CCMM) is the national certifying body for physicians specializing in medical management. It is a not-for-profit corporation chartered by the American College of Physician Executives with the mission of establishing and maintaining the highest standards for certification of physician executives. Certification is awarded on the basis of a candidate's stature as a physician, educational achievements, medical management experience and completion of a four-day skill building and assessment Tutorial administered by the CCMM. At the Tutorial, you will practice management techniques in front of a video camera and be evaluated on your ability to:

Certification by a certifying body is not a substitute for a "track record." A history of successful management is far and away the best credential any physician executive can have, but certification can be helpful even if you have a "track record" and necessary if you do not.

How do I become a Fellow, Distinguished Fellow, Board Member?

Once you have become certified by the CCMM, ACPE will award you Diplomate recognition. A Fellow is a Diplomate of ACPE who has held membership for at least two years and has demonstrated that his or her knowledge and experience have acquired regional or national stature. To apply for Fellowship you must:

Distinguished Fellow

A Fellow who has demonstrated the most noteworthy and enduring contributions to the knowledge and advancement of medical management. Because this is the highest recognition ACPE can bestow, members cannot apply, but must be nominated by their peers (Fellows and Distinguished Fellows). Nominations are reviewed and awards made by the Board of Directors of ACPE.

ACPE Board members

ACPE Board members are elected. To qualify to run for election, you must be a Fellow of the College, have been an ACPE member for a minimum of five years, have taken CME hours through ACPE programs, and be active in College activities.

How do I learn more about medical management?

We'll be making a few suggestions that will help you get started. Choose as many as time and energy will allow.

Readings

The articles linked below are in Acrobat format. If you do not have Acrobat, click here to download.)

Articles

Journals/Magazines

Physician Executive
Published six times a year by The American College of Physician Executives, Physician Executive Journal carries regular columns on Career Management, Health Law and Managing Change, as well as articles written by authorities on virtually all aspects of medical management. It is free to ACPE members. Non-members may preview a free copy.

Leading Edge - Your Online Medical Management Magazine
is published bi-monthly on the ACPE Web site. Leading Edge features articles on a wide range of health care leadership topics and is completely accessible to ACPE member physician and to all Web site visitors.

Modern Physician
Published monthly by Crain Communications, which also publishes Modern Healthcare. Both publications cover news in health care.

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Essentials of Medical Management
Written by nationally known physician executives, health care futurists and management experts from across the country, this book is a valuable reference for both new and experienced physician executives working in all aspects of health care.

Physician Executives: What, Why, How?
An excellent resource for organizations considering establishing a position of medical director and for physicians new to the field who want an explanation of the typical duties of medical directors.

View all ACPE Publications

Education and Training

Physician in Management Seminar

This course presents health care leadership's most critical competencies in a 5-day/6-module format. The PIM will give you good insight into management education. Should you decide to pursue further education, you can carry credits from the seminar toward a master's degree at Tulane University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Massachusetts, or University of Southern California.

View all ACPE Educational Programs

How do I get started in ACPE…

How and where to get started depends on your interests and how much time you can devote to ACPE activities. The simplest way would be to read the College's journal, The Physician Executive. This publication is included with membership and will keep you apprised of ACPE events and issues of interest to physician executives.

You might also consider any of the College's educational programs, in particular the Physician in Management Seminar for an introduction to the aspects of medical management or the Spring Institute where the business of the College is discussed and you'll see the full range of College members from those just beginning to the most senior. If you would like to limit your travel, try InterAct (distance learning).

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