Richard Parker, MD was recently interviewed about how any why physicians are leaving clinical medicine to move into medical administration. Dr. Parker will be speaking at the SEAK National Non Clinical Careers Conference to be held on October 25-26, 2014 in Chicago, IL.
Q. Dr. Parker, how can physicians transitioning into medical administration make a difference in the lives of patients?
The powerful part of working in administration is I am able to leverage my skills into affecting hundreds and thousands of patients rather than one at a time. I am able to think about and “practice” population management or public health through the programs I create and help run.
Q. In a typical day how does a physician in medical administration spend his/her time?
I divide up my time meeting with key colleagues who are all tasked with moving our projects forward. I also meet with potential new groups of doctors who have just joined us or are considering joining us. I may also interface with representatives of the media or other segments of the medical establishment. Representing my organization well to others is vitally important as well as enjoyable.
Q. What skills do successful physicians in medical administration have in common?
We need to thoroughly understand the complexities of our own organizations, warts and all. We need a laser sharp focus on our mission, and a tight understanding of the strategy and tactics to achieve our goals. We also need the “emotional intelligence” to work with challenging people both within and outside our organizations.
Q. What are the most challenging issues physicians in medical administration are likely to have to deal with?
- Not enough money to do everything we want to do.
- Not enough time and bandwidth to attend to all the tasks and satisfy all customers.
- Staying positive and hewing to the mission and strategy despite the slings and arrows of sine-wave oscillations beyond our control!
- Dealing with the rapid changes in the healthcare environment.
- Self-care is also a critical component of long-term success.
Opportunities for Physicians in Medical Administration
Richard Parker, MD
Dr. Parker will discuss the numerous and varied management and administrative non-clinical opportunities for physicians in medical administration. He will explain what physician administrators do, how they positively impact the lives of patients, physicians and personnel, and how to best position yourself for transitioning into this career. He will discuss how to excel at your interview and your new career in medical administration.
Richard Parker, MD is Chief Medical Officer at Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization — one of the most successful Pioneer ACOs in the United States. He is board certified in internal medicine and is Assistant Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Parker has extensive experience in medical administration and management for a physician organization with 2,400 physicians in both academic and private practices. He has significant experience in contracting with health plans, group process, negotiation of contracts, and health care economics. Dr. Parker is also a very experienced expert witness and has expertise in end of life care, medical malpractice, care of the mentally ill and electronic medical records. Dr. Parker received his BA from Harvard College and his MD from Dartmouth-Brown.