What does a Medical Director do?
Medical managers are administrators who plan, coordinate, and oversee the process of providing healthcare services. They are involved in all aspects of the day-to-day operations of a healthcare facility, clinic, or medical department. Their primary responsible is patient care and safety, and creating systems that support that objective. They create and implement strategic plans, manage budgets, and lead and supervise staff. They are accountable for ensuring staff and the facility are in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Medical managers typically have at least a bachelor’s degree in a business or health administration field, although an advanced degree is an asset. They have an extensive background in administrative or healthcare roles, and must be excellent project managers. These positions require familiarity with healthcare laws and regulations.
- Participate in the development and training of clinical staff.
- Willingness to function as a role model and educator.
- Participate in strategic planning and business plans by the executive team.
- Responsible for the overall care of all patients of assigned clinic.
- Communicate complaints and incidents to supervisory personnel as needed.
- Drive the development and approval of scientific, trial-supporting and training materials.
- Study patient needs/trends and suggests solutions to ongoing patient care problems.
- Make data-driven decisions and write safety review documents and reports.
- Ensure in-room checkout is occurring for the care team.
- Oversee the quality of clinical care for network and non-network providers.
- Ability to move, reposition, and place individuals in pieces of equipment.
- Serve as key problem-solving resource for staff on patient issues.
- Perform all tasks on the designated checklists.
- Bachelor's or Graduate's Degree in nursing, information technology, computer science, or business or equivalent experience.
- Familiar with management responsibilities such as budget planning and information dissemination.
- Fluent in clinical practices and uses leadership skills to implement best practices.
- A critical thinker with time management skills and who pays strict attention to detail.
- Unafraid to turn to creative thinking when necessary during decision making.
- Strive for team-wide continuous improvement.
- Use sound judgment and leadership skills to assist with problem solving.
- Prior consulting experience.
- Familiar with HEDIS software, able to train others in its usage.
How much does a Medical Director make?
Base Pay
Additional Pay
$227,792
/ yrMedical Director Career Path
Learn how to become a Medical Director, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
Medical Director Insights
Blue River PetCare“I have enjoyed significant opportunity to grow our practice and advance my career with Blue River.”
Novartis“organization is disastrous with the worst leadership I have seen in my career being appointed.”
Sarepta Therapeutics“There is one Head of Department that is by the far the worst manager I've observed in my career.”
J&Y Law Firm“I have yet to have a bad experience here and I am going on 3 years.”
Takeda Pharmaceuticals“Big pharma with adequate resources and a bigger platform to grow your career”
Ethos Veterinary Health“I have worked at other large veterinary organizations and I am happy to say that Ethos is different (in a really good way)!”
Takeda Pharmaceuticals“Great culture and enjoy working with people”
Novartis“team work and work life balance”
Frequently asked questions about the roles and responsibilities of a Medical Director
- Attorney
- Of Counsel
- Physician
- Law Clerk