Doc execs: Moving from white coat to suit jacket

by Rebekah Apple While landing your first executive role is exhilarating, the effort to land such a coveted position can be challenging. When I talk with physicians about making this transition, I emphasize the need for going over their professional inventory. This means taking an objective look at quantitative experience and demonstration of business acumen. Many physicians believe they could do a better job than their current administrators, and they may very well be right. Physicians often ask how they can get experience without having the job, and how to get the job without experience. Below is a checklist that will help you determine if you're on track, ready to apply for a job or have some additional boots-on-the-ground work to do: 1. Are you heading up committees within your organization? This means directing initiatives with strong, visible impact throughout the system. Membership on such committees is important, but that membership should, at some point, lead to strategic decision-making as well as tactical implementation. 2. Have you gotten budgetary experience? Hospitals, health systems and organizations in non-traditional sectors such as biotech and pharma must see evidence not only of your ability to manage money, but also how to grow it. 3. Money isn't the only resource you'll need to have managed. Some understanding of IT is critical. This doesn't mean you need extensive experience launching an electronic health record system or serving as a liaison b...
Source: hospital impact - Category: Health Managers Authors: Source Type: blogs