How To Become a Medical Director
You can become a medical director through various paths; there’s no specific career that leads to an MD role. However, some key requirements involve education, certification, experience and licensure that most MDs must meet.
Education and Certification Requirements
Almost all medical director roles require at least a master’s degree, but many look for applicants with a doctoral degree. This is because most facilities require the MD to, at a bare minimum, be experienced in caring for patients within a clinical setting. An MD should also be certified in their specialty; for example, the MD of a substance abuse treatment facility should have addiction treatment certifications. Additionally, MDs are often required to have administrative experience that supplements their experience in clinical medicine.
Experience and Training Requirements
At a minimum, MDs are expected to have ten years of experience working as a physician or medical professional. MDs’ role is more administrative than medical, so MDs also need a strong understanding of managerial processes. This is usually obtained with five or more years of experience in medical management or administration.
Licensure and Continuing Education
Since most people in MD positions continue to work as doctors or medical professionals, MDs typically need a state license to practice medicine and remain an MD. Continuing education courses are also a necessity. As medicine continues to advance and institutional policies change to reflect them, MDs must continue to educate themselves to remain up-to-date on medical and administrative expectations.
Skills and Qualities of a Successful MD
As leaders of medical professionals and liaisons between clinical staff members and health care institutions, medical directors need to have superior communication abilities. They also must be able to:
- Maintain ethical and moral principles
- Be respectful
- Help foster an environment of trust
- Display exemplary conduct
- Be fair and equal
- Show a commitment to staff and other leadership
Occupational Outlook of Medical Directors
Depending on the medical director’s specialization, compensation can range from an average of around $40,000 per year to around $215,000 per year, though these numbers can vary drastically. However, these earnings usually correlate to the average number of hours worked. MDs in addiction recovery services make a median salary of around $219,000 per year, but salaries can still range from $52,000 to $304,000 yearly.
