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Building an effective community gastroenterology practice
During my medical training and fellowship, I often heard that my education was not preparing me for the real world. After 3 years of internal medicine training with limited exposure to the outpatient arena and 3-4 years of specialty gastroenterology, hepatology, and advanced procedure training, you’ve probably heard the same thing. Most gastroenterologists who enter private practice have felt this way early on, and our experiences can help you navigate some of the major factors that influence clinical practice to build a thriving career in gastroenterology.
Conduct research on referrals
Once you’ve decided to join a practice, do some research about local dynamics between large hospital systems and private practice. Community clinical practice is unique and varies by region, location, and how the practice is set up. GIs working in rural, low-access areas face different challenges than those working in urban areas near major health care systems. In rural, low-access areas, some physicians have long wait lists for office appointments and procedures.
In urban settings, there may be a larger population of patients but more competition from hospital systems and other practices. In this case, you’ll have to figure out where most of the referrals come from and why – is it the group’s overall reputation or are there physicians in the practice with a highly needed specialty?
Determine if your specialty training can be a differentiator in your market. If you are multilingual and there is a large patient population that speaks the language(s) in which you are fluent, this can be a great way to bring new patients into a practice. This is especially true if there aren’t many (or any) physicians in the practice who are multilingual.
Meet with local physicians in health care systems. Make a connection with hospitalists, referring physicians, ED physicians, advanced practitioners, and surgeons while covering inpatient service. Volunteer for teaching activities – including for nursing staff, who are a great referral source.
Figure out what opportunities exist to have direct interactions with patients, such as health fairs. If possible, it might be smart to invest in marketing directly to patients in your community as well. Leverage opportunities provided by awareness months – such as providing patients with information about cancer screening – to establish a referral basis.
Medical practice is complex and at times can be confusing until you’ve practiced in a given location for some time. Look internally to learn about the community. It’s always a good idea to learn from those who have been practicing in the community for a long time. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and make suggestions, even if they seem naive. Develop relationships with staff members and gain their trust. Establishing a clear understanding of your specialty with your colleagues and staff also can be a good way to find referrals.
Learn the internal process
Schedules during early months are usually filled with urgent patients. Make yourself available for overflow referrals to other established physicians within the practice and for hospital discharge follow-ups. Reading through the charts of these patients can help you understand the various styles of other doctors and can help you familiarize yourself with referring physicians.
This also will help to clarify the process of how a patient moves through the system – from the time patients call the office to when they check out. This includes navigating through procedures, results reporting, and the recall system. While it will be hard to master all aspects of a practice right away, processes within practices are well established, and it is important for you to have a good understanding of how they function.
Focus on patient care and satisfaction
Learning internal processes also can be useful in increasing patient satisfaction, an important quality outcome indicator. As you’re starting out, keep the following things in mind that can help put your patients at ease and increase satisfaction.
- Understand how to communicate what a patient should expect when being seen. Being at ease with the process helps garner trust and confidence.
- Call patients the next day to check on their symptoms.
- Relay results personally. Make connections with family member(s).
- Remember that cultural competency is important. Do everything you can to ensure you’re meeting the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of patients in your community.
- Above all – continue to provide personalized and thorough care. Word of mouth is the best form of referral and is time tested.
Continue to grow
As you begin to understand the dynamics of local practice, it’s important to establish where you fit into the practice and start differentiating your expertise. Here are some ideas and suggestions for how you can continue to expand your patient base.
- Differentiate and establish a subspecialty within your practice: Motility, inflammatory bowel disease, Clostridium difficile/fecal microbiota transplantation, liver diseases, Celiac disease, and medical weight-loss programs are just a few.
- Establish connections with local medical societies as well as hospital and state committees. This is a great way to connect with other physicians of various specialties. If you have a specialty unique to the area, it may help establish a clear referral line.
- Establish a consistent conversation with referring physicians – get to know them and keep direct lines of communication, such as having their cell phone numbers.
- Look for public speaking engagements that reach patients directly. These are organized mostly through patient-based organization and foundations.
- Increase your reach through the local media and through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
At this point, you should have plenty of patients to keep you busy, which could lead to other challenges in managing your various responsibilities and obligations. A key factor at this stage to help reduce stress is to lean on the effective and efficient support system your practice should have in place. Educating medical assistants or nurses on the most common GI diseases and conditions can help reduce the time involved in communicating results. Practice management software and patient portals can help create efficiencies to handle the increasing number of patient visits.
Remember, creating a referral process and patient base as a new gastroenterologist doesn’t have to be daunting. If you follow these tips, you’ll be on your way to establishing yourself within the community. No doubt you will have the same success as many physicians in my group and in the groups of my colleagues in the Digestive Health Physicians Association. And once you’re established, it will be your turn to help the next generation of physicians who want to enter private practice and thrive – so that independent community GI care remains strong well into the future.
Dr. Alaparthi is the director of committee operations at the Gastroenterology Center of Connecticut and serves as chair of the communications committee for the Digestive Health Physicians Association.
During my medical training and fellowship, I often heard that my education was not preparing me for the real world. After 3 years of internal medicine training with limited exposure to the outpatient arena and 3-4 years of specialty gastroenterology, hepatology, and advanced procedure training, you’ve probably heard the same thing. Most gastroenterologists who enter private practice have felt this way early on, and our experiences can help you navigate some of the major factors that influence clinical practice to build a thriving career in gastroenterology.
Conduct research on referrals
Once you’ve decided to join a practice, do some research about local dynamics between large hospital systems and private practice. Community clinical practice is unique and varies by region, location, and how the practice is set up. GIs working in rural, low-access areas face different challenges than those working in urban areas near major health care systems. In rural, low-access areas, some physicians have long wait lists for office appointments and procedures.
In urban settings, there may be a larger population of patients but more competition from hospital systems and other practices. In this case, you’ll have to figure out where most of the referrals come from and why – is it the group’s overall reputation or are there physicians in the practice with a highly needed specialty?
Determine if your specialty training can be a differentiator in your market. If you are multilingual and there is a large patient population that speaks the language(s) in which you are fluent, this can be a great way to bring new patients into a practice. This is especially true if there aren’t many (or any) physicians in the practice who are multilingual.
Meet with local physicians in health care systems. Make a connection with hospitalists, referring physicians, ED physicians, advanced practitioners, and surgeons while covering inpatient service. Volunteer for teaching activities – including for nursing staff, who are a great referral source.
Figure out what opportunities exist to have direct interactions with patients, such as health fairs. If possible, it might be smart to invest in marketing directly to patients in your community as well. Leverage opportunities provided by awareness months – such as providing patients with information about cancer screening – to establish a referral basis.
Medical practice is complex and at times can be confusing until you’ve practiced in a given location for some time. Look internally to learn about the community. It’s always a good idea to learn from those who have been practicing in the community for a long time. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and make suggestions, even if they seem naive. Develop relationships with staff members and gain their trust. Establishing a clear understanding of your specialty with your colleagues and staff also can be a good way to find referrals.
Learn the internal process
Schedules during early months are usually filled with urgent patients. Make yourself available for overflow referrals to other established physicians within the practice and for hospital discharge follow-ups. Reading through the charts of these patients can help you understand the various styles of other doctors and can help you familiarize yourself with referring physicians.
This also will help to clarify the process of how a patient moves through the system – from the time patients call the office to when they check out. This includes navigating through procedures, results reporting, and the recall system. While it will be hard to master all aspects of a practice right away, processes within practices are well established, and it is important for you to have a good understanding of how they function.
Focus on patient care and satisfaction
Learning internal processes also can be useful in increasing patient satisfaction, an important quality outcome indicator. As you’re starting out, keep the following things in mind that can help put your patients at ease and increase satisfaction.
- Understand how to communicate what a patient should expect when being seen. Being at ease with the process helps garner trust and confidence.
- Call patients the next day to check on their symptoms.
- Relay results personally. Make connections with family member(s).
- Remember that cultural competency is important. Do everything you can to ensure you’re meeting the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of patients in your community.
- Above all – continue to provide personalized and thorough care. Word of mouth is the best form of referral and is time tested.
Continue to grow
As you begin to understand the dynamics of local practice, it’s important to establish where you fit into the practice and start differentiating your expertise. Here are some ideas and suggestions for how you can continue to expand your patient base.
- Differentiate and establish a subspecialty within your practice: Motility, inflammatory bowel disease, Clostridium difficile/fecal microbiota transplantation, liver diseases, Celiac disease, and medical weight-loss programs are just a few.
- Establish connections with local medical societies as well as hospital and state committees. This is a great way to connect with other physicians of various specialties. If you have a specialty unique to the area, it may help establish a clear referral line.
- Establish a consistent conversation with referring physicians – get to know them and keep direct lines of communication, such as having their cell phone numbers.
- Look for public speaking engagements that reach patients directly. These are organized mostly through patient-based organization and foundations.
- Increase your reach through the local media and through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
At this point, you should have plenty of patients to keep you busy, which could lead to other challenges in managing your various responsibilities and obligations. A key factor at this stage to help reduce stress is to lean on the effective and efficient support system your practice should have in place. Educating medical assistants or nurses on the most common GI diseases and conditions can help reduce the time involved in communicating results. Practice management software and patient portals can help create efficiencies to handle the increasing number of patient visits.
Remember, creating a referral process and patient base as a new gastroenterologist doesn’t have to be daunting. If you follow these tips, you’ll be on your way to establishing yourself within the community. No doubt you will have the same success as many physicians in my group and in the groups of my colleagues in the Digestive Health Physicians Association. And once you’re established, it will be your turn to help the next generation of physicians who want to enter private practice and thrive – so that independent community GI care remains strong well into the future.
Dr. Alaparthi is the director of committee operations at the Gastroenterology Center of Connecticut and serves as chair of the communications committee for the Digestive Health Physicians Association.
During my medical training and fellowship, I often heard that my education was not preparing me for the real world. After 3 years of internal medicine training with limited exposure to the outpatient arena and 3-4 years of specialty gastroenterology, hepatology, and advanced procedure training, you’ve probably heard the same thing. Most gastroenterologists who enter private practice have felt this way early on, and our experiences can help you navigate some of the major factors that influence clinical practice to build a thriving career in gastroenterology.
Conduct research on referrals
Once you’ve decided to join a practice, do some research about local dynamics between large hospital systems and private practice. Community clinical practice is unique and varies by region, location, and how the practice is set up. GIs working in rural, low-access areas face different challenges than those working in urban areas near major health care systems. In rural, low-access areas, some physicians have long wait lists for office appointments and procedures.
In urban settings, there may be a larger population of patients but more competition from hospital systems and other practices. In this case, you’ll have to figure out where most of the referrals come from and why – is it the group’s overall reputation or are there physicians in the practice with a highly needed specialty?
Determine if your specialty training can be a differentiator in your market. If you are multilingual and there is a large patient population that speaks the language(s) in which you are fluent, this can be a great way to bring new patients into a practice. This is especially true if there aren’t many (or any) physicians in the practice who are multilingual.
Meet with local physicians in health care systems. Make a connection with hospitalists, referring physicians, ED physicians, advanced practitioners, and surgeons while covering inpatient service. Volunteer for teaching activities – including for nursing staff, who are a great referral source.
Figure out what opportunities exist to have direct interactions with patients, such as health fairs. If possible, it might be smart to invest in marketing directly to patients in your community as well. Leverage opportunities provided by awareness months – such as providing patients with information about cancer screening – to establish a referral basis.
Medical practice is complex and at times can be confusing until you’ve practiced in a given location for some time. Look internally to learn about the community. It’s always a good idea to learn from those who have been practicing in the community for a long time. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and make suggestions, even if they seem naive. Develop relationships with staff members and gain their trust. Establishing a clear understanding of your specialty with your colleagues and staff also can be a good way to find referrals.
Learn the internal process
Schedules during early months are usually filled with urgent patients. Make yourself available for overflow referrals to other established physicians within the practice and for hospital discharge follow-ups. Reading through the charts of these patients can help you understand the various styles of other doctors and can help you familiarize yourself with referring physicians.
This also will help to clarify the process of how a patient moves through the system – from the time patients call the office to when they check out. This includes navigating through procedures, results reporting, and the recall system. While it will be hard to master all aspects of a practice right away, processes within practices are well established, and it is important for you to have a good understanding of how they function.
Focus on patient care and satisfaction
Learning internal processes also can be useful in increasing patient satisfaction, an important quality outcome indicator. As you’re starting out, keep the following things in mind that can help put your patients at ease and increase satisfaction.
- Understand how to communicate what a patient should expect when being seen. Being at ease with the process helps garner trust and confidence.
- Call patients the next day to check on their symptoms.
- Relay results personally. Make connections with family member(s).
- Remember that cultural competency is important. Do everything you can to ensure you’re meeting the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of patients in your community.
- Above all – continue to provide personalized and thorough care. Word of mouth is the best form of referral and is time tested.
Continue to grow
As you begin to understand the dynamics of local practice, it’s important to establish where you fit into the practice and start differentiating your expertise. Here are some ideas and suggestions for how you can continue to expand your patient base.
- Differentiate and establish a subspecialty within your practice: Motility, inflammatory bowel disease, Clostridium difficile/fecal microbiota transplantation, liver diseases, Celiac disease, and medical weight-loss programs are just a few.
- Establish connections with local medical societies as well as hospital and state committees. This is a great way to connect with other physicians of various specialties. If you have a specialty unique to the area, it may help establish a clear referral line.
- Establish a consistent conversation with referring physicians – get to know them and keep direct lines of communication, such as having their cell phone numbers.
- Look for public speaking engagements that reach patients directly. These are organized mostly through patient-based organization and foundations.
- Increase your reach through the local media and through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
At this point, you should have plenty of patients to keep you busy, which could lead to other challenges in managing your various responsibilities and obligations. A key factor at this stage to help reduce stress is to lean on the effective and efficient support system your practice should have in place. Educating medical assistants or nurses on the most common GI diseases and conditions can help reduce the time involved in communicating results. Practice management software and patient portals can help create efficiencies to handle the increasing number of patient visits.
Remember, creating a referral process and patient base as a new gastroenterologist doesn’t have to be daunting. If you follow these tips, you’ll be on your way to establishing yourself within the community. No doubt you will have the same success as many physicians in my group and in the groups of my colleagues in the Digestive Health Physicians Association. And once you’re established, it will be your turn to help the next generation of physicians who want to enter private practice and thrive – so that independent community GI care remains strong well into the future.
Dr. Alaparthi is the director of committee operations at the Gastroenterology Center of Connecticut and serves as chair of the communications committee for the Digestive Health Physicians Association.
Advanced degree programs to consider when changing careers
I have been in private practice as a gastroenterologist for 18 years. Many of us in gastroenterology and related fields have wondered how to navigate toward the next step in our careers. There are resources available to further our knowledge, add new skills, and fine tune personal talents to help position us for that next step.
Questions to ask at this stage are: What do I really want to do? Where do I see myself in 5-10 years? How do I go about achieving my target?
We come from different backgrounds including, broadly, academic clinical, academic research, basic science, clinical practice, and education. The next stage of these career paths can vary, and that should be kept in mind while choosing courses/programs. I reached out to two well-known gastroenterologists who have successfully changed their career paths after starting with different backgrounds.
Ronald Vender, MD, professor of medicine, associate dean of clinical affairs, chief medical officer, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
Dr. Vender began in private practice gastroenterology after fellowship. His own trajectory has been one of “evolution” and has grown to the above titles through “incremental opportunity.” While reflecting on his career, Dr. Vender felt three main attributes were responsible: involvement in medical/GI societies, involvement in non-GI organizations, and engagement of needs for improvement at the hospital of practice. Opportunities became available by speaking up, raising issues, and demanding improvements. Dr. Vender’s involvement in both the private practice sector and hospital administration made his transition to hospital administration possible. This change was based on a “change in [him] and change in what [he] wanted to do.” His advice for all is to learn to say “yes” often in your early career and recognize when to say “no” later in your career.
John Allen, MD, MBA, clinical professor of medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Dr. Allen started his career in the Veterans Affairs (VA) system, and during this time, he was exposed to research activities and learned research skills. His initial interest was in health care delivery, but this eventually changed to private practice gastroenterology. His exposure to information and the opportunity to learn about variations in practice and outcomes allowed him to maintain his interest in quality, which ultimately led to publications on colonoscopy quality. In his 40s he decided to obtain an executive master of business administration (EMBA), which he feels one should embark upon “when you have a problem to solve.” He has effectively moved from the VA system to private practice and now to academic medicine. Dr. Allen identified attending leadership conferences, engaging executive coaches, and participation in key committees as further opportunities to help you change careers. His prior work experience, education, and exposure enables him in his current position to help oversee a large department of medicine with 160 care sites, with quality and financials as key factors.
As we can see, there is no correct answer or set path for those of us wanting to change career directions. What was clear while speaking with both Dr. Vender and Dr. Allen was the importance of enthusiasm in solving issues, a willingness to commit to new projects, and an interest in exploring new areas.
Below is a brief overview of some degree programs that may help promote a change in your career path.
Masters in health care
This degree is aimed at those looking to advance their career in the field of health care in various locations, such as hospitals, clinics, and nonprofit organizations.1 Length of prior health care experience will vary based upon program. Programs are administered on a full-time and part-time basis, as well as online and study abroad. Numerous specialties are offered such as medicine, nutrition, psychiatry, nursing, veterinary medicine, physiotherapy, biomedical engineering, medical laboratory studies, radiology, alternative medicine, and health care management, administration, or leadership.
Health care MBA
Master of business administration (MBA) programs in health care administration management are offered by several universities. Given their aim of imparting essential information on a broad range of topics relevant to the health care industry, they are usually quite rigorous. It is recommended that you pursue an MBA only after a few years of working in your chosen field of practice. Many institutions require GMAT scores with the application.2-4
Executive MBA
EMBA programs are similar to health care MBAs in that they also include rigorous course work.5 EMBA programs are developed to meet the educational needs of managers and executives or physicians hoping to advance or change their career. Typically, students can earn an MBA in 2 years or less while working full-time. GMAT scores are required by most institutions offering EMBA.
Certification leadership programs
A benefit of leadership programs is that they help to develop a clear vision by creating a mission statement, goals, and action plans. Some notable programs include:
- American Gastroenterological Association leadership programs: Future Leaders Program, Women’s Leadership Conference, and Forward Program (new for 2019). These programs offer robust sessions which are well thought out and intended to advance the careers of traditionally underrepresented groups within the field of gastroenterology.6
- American Medical Association’s Women’s Leadership Certificate: This program was developed to promote knowledge and strong leadership, both within oneself and among others. Attendees are awarded with the “AMA Women’s Leadership Certificate” following the 2-day event.7
- Executive leadership training and development programs: As with many universities offer programs like these; for example, Harvard Medical School, Boston, offers a popular – and usually sold out – event for women titled “Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Health Care.”8
- American College of Healthcare Executives: Various conferences and educational meetings in addition to the annual ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership.9
- American Association of Physician Leadership: Physician executive accreditation along with career services, continued education, and publications.10
After reviewing the experiences of two well-known gastroenterologists and several of the available programs, the question to ask yourself is, “What’s next?” Most will likely have this question already in mind, so here are a few potential career directions/positions to consider:
Academic medicine: department chief, program director, director of endoscopy, chief medical officer
Private practice: managing director, director of endoscopy, finance director
Private sector: pharmaceutical industry, scientific advisor, medical director, medical insurance industry, malpractice insurance industry, medical informatics, public policy, private equity, entrepreneurial
Conclusion
In summary, there is no single answer nor a single program that fits everyone’s needs. Health care delivery and management/administration are complicated and will only continue to evolve. Consideration must be given to the fact that any change in one’s career direction needs time and commitment.
Here are some take-home points:
- You needs to be introspective about personal strengths and weaknesses and areas to focus on.
- Asking questions raised in the second paragraph will help you narrow options and choose the correct program.
- Enrolling in, and completing, your chosen program is crucial.
- Experience and exposure to issues are invaluable in building your skill set. As our featured leaders advised: “Put yourself out there.”
- Build your resume by listing any activity outside of clinical work that has contributed to enhancing your skills.
Good luck!
References
1. HealthcareAdministrationEDU.org. Master’s in Health Administration. https://www.healthcareadministrationedu.org.
2. Healthcare Management Degree Guide. https://www.healthcare-management-degree.net.
3. The Best Schools: The 15 Best Online MBA in Healthcare Management Degree Programs. https://thebestschools.org/rankings/best-online-mba-healthcare-management/.
4. US News. Best Executive MBA Programs. 2019. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/executive-rankings.
5. The Best Schools: The Best Executive MBA Programs Online & On-Campus. https://thebestschools.org/rankings/best-executive-mba-programs/.
6. AGA. https://www.gastro.org/.
7. AMA. https://www.ama-assn.org/about/leadership-development-institute.
8. Harvard Medical School. Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare. https://womensleadership.hmscme.com/.
9. American College of Healthcare Executives. https://www.ache.org/.
10. American Association for Physician Leadership. https://www.physicianleaders.org.
Dr. Alaparthi is in private practice in Hamden, Conn.; assistant clinical professor, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; and assistant clinical professor, Quinnipiac University, Hamden. She is also an ex-officio member of the AGA Women’s Committee.
I have been in private practice as a gastroenterologist for 18 years. Many of us in gastroenterology and related fields have wondered how to navigate toward the next step in our careers. There are resources available to further our knowledge, add new skills, and fine tune personal talents to help position us for that next step.
Questions to ask at this stage are: What do I really want to do? Where do I see myself in 5-10 years? How do I go about achieving my target?
We come from different backgrounds including, broadly, academic clinical, academic research, basic science, clinical practice, and education. The next stage of these career paths can vary, and that should be kept in mind while choosing courses/programs. I reached out to two well-known gastroenterologists who have successfully changed their career paths after starting with different backgrounds.
Ronald Vender, MD, professor of medicine, associate dean of clinical affairs, chief medical officer, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
Dr. Vender began in private practice gastroenterology after fellowship. His own trajectory has been one of “evolution” and has grown to the above titles through “incremental opportunity.” While reflecting on his career, Dr. Vender felt three main attributes were responsible: involvement in medical/GI societies, involvement in non-GI organizations, and engagement of needs for improvement at the hospital of practice. Opportunities became available by speaking up, raising issues, and demanding improvements. Dr. Vender’s involvement in both the private practice sector and hospital administration made his transition to hospital administration possible. This change was based on a “change in [him] and change in what [he] wanted to do.” His advice for all is to learn to say “yes” often in your early career and recognize when to say “no” later in your career.
John Allen, MD, MBA, clinical professor of medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Dr. Allen started his career in the Veterans Affairs (VA) system, and during this time, he was exposed to research activities and learned research skills. His initial interest was in health care delivery, but this eventually changed to private practice gastroenterology. His exposure to information and the opportunity to learn about variations in practice and outcomes allowed him to maintain his interest in quality, which ultimately led to publications on colonoscopy quality. In his 40s he decided to obtain an executive master of business administration (EMBA), which he feels one should embark upon “when you have a problem to solve.” He has effectively moved from the VA system to private practice and now to academic medicine. Dr. Allen identified attending leadership conferences, engaging executive coaches, and participation in key committees as further opportunities to help you change careers. His prior work experience, education, and exposure enables him in his current position to help oversee a large department of medicine with 160 care sites, with quality and financials as key factors.
As we can see, there is no correct answer or set path for those of us wanting to change career directions. What was clear while speaking with both Dr. Vender and Dr. Allen was the importance of enthusiasm in solving issues, a willingness to commit to new projects, and an interest in exploring new areas.
Below is a brief overview of some degree programs that may help promote a change in your career path.
Masters in health care
This degree is aimed at those looking to advance their career in the field of health care in various locations, such as hospitals, clinics, and nonprofit organizations.1 Length of prior health care experience will vary based upon program. Programs are administered on a full-time and part-time basis, as well as online and study abroad. Numerous specialties are offered such as medicine, nutrition, psychiatry, nursing, veterinary medicine, physiotherapy, biomedical engineering, medical laboratory studies, radiology, alternative medicine, and health care management, administration, or leadership.
Health care MBA
Master of business administration (MBA) programs in health care administration management are offered by several universities. Given their aim of imparting essential information on a broad range of topics relevant to the health care industry, they are usually quite rigorous. It is recommended that you pursue an MBA only after a few years of working in your chosen field of practice. Many institutions require GMAT scores with the application.2-4
Executive MBA
EMBA programs are similar to health care MBAs in that they also include rigorous course work.5 EMBA programs are developed to meet the educational needs of managers and executives or physicians hoping to advance or change their career. Typically, students can earn an MBA in 2 years or less while working full-time. GMAT scores are required by most institutions offering EMBA.
Certification leadership programs
A benefit of leadership programs is that they help to develop a clear vision by creating a mission statement, goals, and action plans. Some notable programs include:
- American Gastroenterological Association leadership programs: Future Leaders Program, Women’s Leadership Conference, and Forward Program (new for 2019). These programs offer robust sessions which are well thought out and intended to advance the careers of traditionally underrepresented groups within the field of gastroenterology.6
- American Medical Association’s Women’s Leadership Certificate: This program was developed to promote knowledge and strong leadership, both within oneself and among others. Attendees are awarded with the “AMA Women’s Leadership Certificate” following the 2-day event.7
- Executive leadership training and development programs: As with many universities offer programs like these; for example, Harvard Medical School, Boston, offers a popular – and usually sold out – event for women titled “Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Health Care.”8
- American College of Healthcare Executives: Various conferences and educational meetings in addition to the annual ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership.9
- American Association of Physician Leadership: Physician executive accreditation along with career services, continued education, and publications.10
After reviewing the experiences of two well-known gastroenterologists and several of the available programs, the question to ask yourself is, “What’s next?” Most will likely have this question already in mind, so here are a few potential career directions/positions to consider:
Academic medicine: department chief, program director, director of endoscopy, chief medical officer
Private practice: managing director, director of endoscopy, finance director
Private sector: pharmaceutical industry, scientific advisor, medical director, medical insurance industry, malpractice insurance industry, medical informatics, public policy, private equity, entrepreneurial
Conclusion
In summary, there is no single answer nor a single program that fits everyone’s needs. Health care delivery and management/administration are complicated and will only continue to evolve. Consideration must be given to the fact that any change in one’s career direction needs time and commitment.
Here are some take-home points:
- You needs to be introspective about personal strengths and weaknesses and areas to focus on.
- Asking questions raised in the second paragraph will help you narrow options and choose the correct program.
- Enrolling in, and completing, your chosen program is crucial.
- Experience and exposure to issues are invaluable in building your skill set. As our featured leaders advised: “Put yourself out there.”
- Build your resume by listing any activity outside of clinical work that has contributed to enhancing your skills.
Good luck!
References
1. HealthcareAdministrationEDU.org. Master’s in Health Administration. https://www.healthcareadministrationedu.org.
2. Healthcare Management Degree Guide. https://www.healthcare-management-degree.net.
3. The Best Schools: The 15 Best Online MBA in Healthcare Management Degree Programs. https://thebestschools.org/rankings/best-online-mba-healthcare-management/.
4. US News. Best Executive MBA Programs. 2019. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/executive-rankings.
5. The Best Schools: The Best Executive MBA Programs Online & On-Campus. https://thebestschools.org/rankings/best-executive-mba-programs/.
6. AGA. https://www.gastro.org/.
7. AMA. https://www.ama-assn.org/about/leadership-development-institute.
8. Harvard Medical School. Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare. https://womensleadership.hmscme.com/.
9. American College of Healthcare Executives. https://www.ache.org/.
10. American Association for Physician Leadership. https://www.physicianleaders.org.
Dr. Alaparthi is in private practice in Hamden, Conn.; assistant clinical professor, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; and assistant clinical professor, Quinnipiac University, Hamden. She is also an ex-officio member of the AGA Women’s Committee.
I have been in private practice as a gastroenterologist for 18 years. Many of us in gastroenterology and related fields have wondered how to navigate toward the next step in our careers. There are resources available to further our knowledge, add new skills, and fine tune personal talents to help position us for that next step.
Questions to ask at this stage are: What do I really want to do? Where do I see myself in 5-10 years? How do I go about achieving my target?
We come from different backgrounds including, broadly, academic clinical, academic research, basic science, clinical practice, and education. The next stage of these career paths can vary, and that should be kept in mind while choosing courses/programs. I reached out to two well-known gastroenterologists who have successfully changed their career paths after starting with different backgrounds.
Ronald Vender, MD, professor of medicine, associate dean of clinical affairs, chief medical officer, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
Dr. Vender began in private practice gastroenterology after fellowship. His own trajectory has been one of “evolution” and has grown to the above titles through “incremental opportunity.” While reflecting on his career, Dr. Vender felt three main attributes were responsible: involvement in medical/GI societies, involvement in non-GI organizations, and engagement of needs for improvement at the hospital of practice. Opportunities became available by speaking up, raising issues, and demanding improvements. Dr. Vender’s involvement in both the private practice sector and hospital administration made his transition to hospital administration possible. This change was based on a “change in [him] and change in what [he] wanted to do.” His advice for all is to learn to say “yes” often in your early career and recognize when to say “no” later in your career.
John Allen, MD, MBA, clinical professor of medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Dr. Allen started his career in the Veterans Affairs (VA) system, and during this time, he was exposed to research activities and learned research skills. His initial interest was in health care delivery, but this eventually changed to private practice gastroenterology. His exposure to information and the opportunity to learn about variations in practice and outcomes allowed him to maintain his interest in quality, which ultimately led to publications on colonoscopy quality. In his 40s he decided to obtain an executive master of business administration (EMBA), which he feels one should embark upon “when you have a problem to solve.” He has effectively moved from the VA system to private practice and now to academic medicine. Dr. Allen identified attending leadership conferences, engaging executive coaches, and participation in key committees as further opportunities to help you change careers. His prior work experience, education, and exposure enables him in his current position to help oversee a large department of medicine with 160 care sites, with quality and financials as key factors.
As we can see, there is no correct answer or set path for those of us wanting to change career directions. What was clear while speaking with both Dr. Vender and Dr. Allen was the importance of enthusiasm in solving issues, a willingness to commit to new projects, and an interest in exploring new areas.
Below is a brief overview of some degree programs that may help promote a change in your career path.
Masters in health care
This degree is aimed at those looking to advance their career in the field of health care in various locations, such as hospitals, clinics, and nonprofit organizations.1 Length of prior health care experience will vary based upon program. Programs are administered on a full-time and part-time basis, as well as online and study abroad. Numerous specialties are offered such as medicine, nutrition, psychiatry, nursing, veterinary medicine, physiotherapy, biomedical engineering, medical laboratory studies, radiology, alternative medicine, and health care management, administration, or leadership.
Health care MBA
Master of business administration (MBA) programs in health care administration management are offered by several universities. Given their aim of imparting essential information on a broad range of topics relevant to the health care industry, they are usually quite rigorous. It is recommended that you pursue an MBA only after a few years of working in your chosen field of practice. Many institutions require GMAT scores with the application.2-4
Executive MBA
EMBA programs are similar to health care MBAs in that they also include rigorous course work.5 EMBA programs are developed to meet the educational needs of managers and executives or physicians hoping to advance or change their career. Typically, students can earn an MBA in 2 years or less while working full-time. GMAT scores are required by most institutions offering EMBA.
Certification leadership programs
A benefit of leadership programs is that they help to develop a clear vision by creating a mission statement, goals, and action plans. Some notable programs include:
- American Gastroenterological Association leadership programs: Future Leaders Program, Women’s Leadership Conference, and Forward Program (new for 2019). These programs offer robust sessions which are well thought out and intended to advance the careers of traditionally underrepresented groups within the field of gastroenterology.6
- American Medical Association’s Women’s Leadership Certificate: This program was developed to promote knowledge and strong leadership, both within oneself and among others. Attendees are awarded with the “AMA Women’s Leadership Certificate” following the 2-day event.7
- Executive leadership training and development programs: As with many universities offer programs like these; for example, Harvard Medical School, Boston, offers a popular – and usually sold out – event for women titled “Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Health Care.”8
- American College of Healthcare Executives: Various conferences and educational meetings in addition to the annual ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership.9
- American Association of Physician Leadership: Physician executive accreditation along with career services, continued education, and publications.10
After reviewing the experiences of two well-known gastroenterologists and several of the available programs, the question to ask yourself is, “What’s next?” Most will likely have this question already in mind, so here are a few potential career directions/positions to consider:
Academic medicine: department chief, program director, director of endoscopy, chief medical officer
Private practice: managing director, director of endoscopy, finance director
Private sector: pharmaceutical industry, scientific advisor, medical director, medical insurance industry, malpractice insurance industry, medical informatics, public policy, private equity, entrepreneurial
Conclusion
In summary, there is no single answer nor a single program that fits everyone’s needs. Health care delivery and management/administration are complicated and will only continue to evolve. Consideration must be given to the fact that any change in one’s career direction needs time and commitment.
Here are some take-home points:
- You needs to be introspective about personal strengths and weaknesses and areas to focus on.
- Asking questions raised in the second paragraph will help you narrow options and choose the correct program.
- Enrolling in, and completing, your chosen program is crucial.
- Experience and exposure to issues are invaluable in building your skill set. As our featured leaders advised: “Put yourself out there.”
- Build your resume by listing any activity outside of clinical work that has contributed to enhancing your skills.
Good luck!
References
1. HealthcareAdministrationEDU.org. Master’s in Health Administration. https://www.healthcareadministrationedu.org.
2. Healthcare Management Degree Guide. https://www.healthcare-management-degree.net.
3. The Best Schools: The 15 Best Online MBA in Healthcare Management Degree Programs. https://thebestschools.org/rankings/best-online-mba-healthcare-management/.
4. US News. Best Executive MBA Programs. 2019. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/executive-rankings.
5. The Best Schools: The Best Executive MBA Programs Online & On-Campus. https://thebestschools.org/rankings/best-executive-mba-programs/.
6. AGA. https://www.gastro.org/.
7. AMA. https://www.ama-assn.org/about/leadership-development-institute.
8. Harvard Medical School. Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare. https://womensleadership.hmscme.com/.
9. American College of Healthcare Executives. https://www.ache.org/.
10. American Association for Physician Leadership. https://www.physicianleaders.org.
Dr. Alaparthi is in private practice in Hamden, Conn.; assistant clinical professor, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; and assistant clinical professor, Quinnipiac University, Hamden. She is also an ex-officio member of the AGA Women’s Committee.