Management courses for doctors are now being offered in response to the growing need for doctors to assume leadership and management roles in the medical field. Management has been inherent in the medical field, be it in a hospital or in an independent practice clinic.
Despite the importance of management in the medical field, medical schools, until recently, never provided the needed business and management training. Most studies on management courses for doctors would agree that physicians opting to take up managerial positions need to have adequate financial and business backgrounds. Most studies would also say that formal training is not really important, but a medical manager must be able to understand and “speak” business concepts such as: financial analysis, cost-accounting, economics, decision analysis marketing, and strategic planning.
Points to Consider
In choosing management courses, the doctor should consider the following points: the management degree or courses to be taken, the educational format, the setting for the training, time and expenses, the level of knowledge required, and the need for formal and continuing education in the management field. Answers to these points are subjective to every aspiring physician-manager. It can depend on a physician’s background, prior training and experience, responsibilities, and future plans.
Doctors have a variety of options in studying management courses. They can opt to use the traditional and more common self-study and on-the-job training options. They could also attend conferences, seminars, and training programs offered by medical associations and institutions. Short-course, Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs on business and management are also available.
To test adequacy in managerial roles, physicians could first assume part-time, simple administrative duties in their respective hospitals or clinics. If they can find their niche in performing management duties, they could move on and engage in short-term workshops or seminars conducted by hospitals, medical organizations, schools or universities, and business or management firms and schools. Afterwards, doctors could then study management courses or take up formal education in a school or university of their choice, through a “third degree” or graduate studies program. These degrees or courses could be obtained full-time on-campus, part-time on-campus, or in an executive format wherein students have a limited number of classes per month.
The most pursued degree programs for medical management are:
Master of Public Health (MPH). MPH degree programs are offered in schools of public health. This program is geared towards public health administration. This degree can be finished in a year or more, depending on the schedule of classes. The MPH curriculum does not discuss management concepts in-depth.
Master of Health or Hospital Administration (MHA). The MHA degree can be finished in two years on-campus. The program covers a number of health-related management concepts like: economics, perspectives on the organization and delivery of health services, and management of organizations and their environment.
Master of Business Administration (MBA). The MBA degrees are usually offered by business schools. This degree covers management and financial concepts profoundly compared to other graduate degrees for medical managers.
Master of Science (MS).MS degree programs are offered in universities and vary depending on the field of study. Examples are: MS in Administration and MS in Hospital Management.
Management courses and resources are also offered online for physicians who prefer to work and study at the same time.
