If you want to make a difference through your career, pursuing work as a medical director provides a great path. As leaders and authorities in the field of health care, medical directors are positioned to make a real impact in a field that can meaningfully improve people’s lives.
More than 22,700 medical directors are employed in the United States, according to Zippia. They work across a variety of health care settings, including small rural hospitals, large multinational health care organizations, clinics and public health facilities. Though their duties, responsibilities and salaries can vary from one organization or department to the next, leadership is at the heart of every medical director job description.
Medical directors serve in executive positions, so their jobs come with a great deal of responsibility. That means they need a wide range of knowledge, experience and skills to help them address the challenges, concerns and opportunities that come with the position. The online Executive Master of Health Administration (EMHA) degree program from USC Price can help aspiring medical directors learn what they need to thrive in this fast-paced, high-demand career.
What Does a Medical Director Do?
Medical directors, sometimes referred to as clinical medical directors, health care executives or health care administrators, are licensed doctors who are responsible for overseeing health care facilities or the departments within them. What a medical director does involves planning and coordinating care, which includes everything from developing and implementing facility protocols to managing complex budgets.
Where Do Medical Directors Work?
Medical directors work across the spectrum of health care facilities and organizations. According to May 2022 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), medical health and services managers (including medical directors) work in the following settings:
- 30% work in state, local and private hospitals
- 12% practice in physicians’ offices
- 9% work in nursing homes and residential care facilities
- 7% work for government agencies
- 7% operate in outpatient care centers, such as clinics and urgent care centers
Most medical directors work full time during a traditional workweek. Those working in urgent care centers, nursing homes and other facilities that are open around the clock may be required to work outside of traditional hours or remain on call for emergencies. Medical directors who work for national health care organizations may also spend time traveling to the network’s different facilities.
Key Duties and Responsibilities for Medical Directors
Though their exact responsibilities may vary depending on the facility size, location, department and other factors, a few key duties apply to every medical director job description.
Establishing Medical Protocols
Medical directors regularly collaborate with their departments’ or facilities’ staff regarding existing patient care policies. They also analyze clinical data, including treatments and outcomes, to develop new medical protocols that improve overall care.
Overseeing Every Department
Medical directors who oversee operations for an entire facility must familiarize themselves with each department’s operations. This helps them better understand how each department works together to provide care to patients. For example, improving interactions between a hospital’s orthopedics and radiology departments can promote more efficient care for patients with broken bones.
Recruiting and Training Staff
Medical directors are often responsible for recruiting a facility’s or department’s staff. This includes clinical staff, such as surgeons, doctors and nurses, as well as nonclinical staff, such as environmental services workers. They may also be required to train new staff according to the organization’s policies and procedures.
Researching Current Medical Trends
Because medical directors are ultimately responsible for ensuring the delivery of quality patient care, they spend a great deal of time researching current medical trends. With medical technology and techniques evolving every year, it’s crucial for medical directors to stay on top of the latest news and developments around the industry.
Managing Facility Budgets
Many medical directors are responsible for budgeting for an entire facility or department. Budgeting includes everything from the amount spent on new technologies to the amount charged for specific services. It also includes accounts receivable and payroll.
Ensuring Regulatory, Legal and Ethical Compliance
Medical directors are responsible for ensuring that their facilities, departments and staff work in compliance with state and federal regulations as they apply to health care. They must also manage any legal issues that arise and monitor their staff for ethical compliance.
Developing Workplace Culture
Every place of employment has a work culture: the values, attitudes and behaviors of the collective staff. A compassionate and friendly medical director can be a big factor in helping cultivate exceptional employee morale, which translates into quality care and high patient satisfaction rates.
Ensuring Patient Satisfaction
One of the most important aspects of the medical director job description involves ensuring patient satisfaction. Even the best facilities in the world have dissatisfied patients from time to time, and it’s up to the medical director to investigate these claims and take the appropriate action. Medical directors must also keep patient satisfaction and experience in mind when developing new protocols and enhancing the facility’s work culture.
How to Become a Medical Director
Medical directors must complete a full Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree program to qualify for the role, according to Indeed. Many organizations prefer candidates who have some experience working in administrative or leadership roles.
In addition to the requirements outlined above, graduate degree programs in health administration can help candidates build the knowledge and skills to lead a department or facility to success, which could make prospective medical directors stand out for potential employers.
The requirements for becoming a medical director include the following:
- A valid and unencumbered license to practice medicine as an MD or a DO
- Several years of experience in health care, administration, leadership or a combination of these
- Exceptional judgment and decision-making skills
- A firm understanding of health care facility operations
- Proven leadership skills
- Knowledge of current regulatory and legal requirements
- Program management and project planning skills
- Social skills
Medical Director Salary and Job Outlook
Medical directors’ salaries vary significantly based on their location, experience level and employer. Depending on the corporate hierarchy, some medical directors may also receive quarterly or annual performance bonuses. Medical directors earned a median base salary of approximately $212,600 as of June 2023, according to data compiled by career compensation website Payscale.
The job outlook for medical directors is exceptional. The BLS projects that the employment of medical and health services managers (including medical directors) could grow by about 28% between 2022 and 2032, about nine times greater than the projected average growth across all career types.
Not only that, but the overall industry stands to see significant growth in the coming years. The American health care industry was valued at $654 billion in 2021 and might approach $800 billion by 2026, according to McKinsey & Co. Due to this growth, new and existing organizations will require qualified medical directors to ensure efficient operations and exceptional patient satisfaction.
Lead Tomorrow’s Health Care Organizations
Medical director job descriptions vary, but all medical directors focus on leading their facilities or departments to success. As the American health care industry grows and evolves, the demand for qualified professionals and leaders will also rise.
Discover how you can play a vital role in improving health care and leading in medical organizations by earning your online EMHA degree from USC Price.
Recommended Readings
National Patient Safety Goals: How They Improve Care Delivery
5 Ways an EMHA Can Advance Your Health Care Career
7 Reasons to Pursue an EMHA Degree
Sources:
FlexJobs, “What Is a Medical Director? Job Description, Duties and More”
Glassdoor, “Medical Director Career”
Indeed, “Medical Director Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications”
Indeed, “What Does a Medical Director Do? Duties and Requirements”
McKinsey & Co., “What to Expect in U.S. Healthcare in 2023 and Beyond”
Payscale, “Average Medical Director Salary”
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Medical and Health Services Managers”
Zippia, “Medical Director Demographics and Statistics in the US”
Zippia, “Medical Director Skills for Your Resume and Career”