Ask, Listen, and Learn
In addition, this is just a beginning step that will lead to further leadership positions for many. Gaining experience with what works and with how you can accomplish initiatives will lead to bigger opportunities. Embedding yourself in the fabric of your organization provides an opportunity for others to see you work and interact. Seek the advice of those whom you trust and who appear to be successful. Listen to feedback and adjust accordingly. Take classes on leadership, financial performance, process improvement, or in areas that appeal to you and that address what you want to accomplish. Before you know it, you will be chief of staff, division chair, or chief medical officer. Knowing where you want to end up is always an advantage, but many individuals find their way through different experiences and exposures. Sometimes where you end up is not what you expected, but the journey is usually interesting.
Different career choices come at different times. Focusing on family, whether it is making time for children, caring for elderly parents, or supporting a spouse’s career choice may require less career focus for a time. However, as your responsibilities change, new opportunities arise. Finding a mentor or trusted individual who can advise you during these times is helpful.
Develop and Demonstrate Executive Expertise
As the hospital environment changes and hospitalists become the primary providers of care in the acute care setting, they will become hospital coordinators, in conjunction with the emergency department and other specialists. They will develop a knowledge that can be leveraged to improve processes, reduce errors, and improve outcomes. A different set of skills is needed to be successful as an executive. It requires a different way of problem solving; it requires studying and applying new lessons. The successful person develops this new expertise. The effect this person makes in applying these new skills will lead to increased roles and responsibilities. There will be continuing demand for individuals who can access, plan, and implement change within our complex systems. There will also be continuing challenges in healthcare, including the areas of medical education, research, the uninsured, and the aging population. Skills acquired now could be applied as the vice president of medical affairs or as chief medical officer.
Historically, the chief executive officer of a hospital or an integrated system has been a non-medical person with business expertise in healthcare. Hospitalists may fill this role more and more in the future. Many individuals are starting their careers in the hospital. This experience will allow them to develop skills their prior colleagues did not have. It will expose them to teamwork, results orientation, and mentors. We are a young group of professionals with many career years ahead of us. Hospitals are increasingly recognizing that the expertise of committed physician partners is critical to their success. This combination of interest and opportunity will groom many individuals, some of whom will affect healthcare for generations.
Bringing our knowledge of medicine to business, and creating crossroads and interactions, can advance our careers at the same time it improves the healthcare of others. This type of career path is not out of reach for you, and to think it all started with the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. TH
Dr. Gorman is the president of SHM.