What types of things make up the administrative role of a physician?

[14_karat]

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Are these just roles involved in the business side of running a hospital or practice? Do they include varied types of committees that a physician may be on (diversity & inclusion committees, etc)?

 

[lumya]

Lot of charting and paperwork. Even with scribes there's sometimes notes that doctor's have to fill in. Many physicians are faculty members at their local medical school so paperwork associated with that. Very few doctors are involved with the day to day running of the hospital. Hospitals do have Chief Medical Officers, although the physician in this role is more involved in the overall operations of the hospital and not so much in seeing patients. Department chairs will have more input on the business decisions and will have more administrative tasks associated with that. Recruitment and medical school admissions committees. Conducting research and the regulatory paperwork that comes with it.

I'm sure there's a ton more that they have to do, but that's what I could think of off the top of my head.

 

[LizzyM]

There are the administrative roles of running a department, a practice, a multi-specialty group practice or a hospital. There are also committees one may be elected or appointed to service on as part of being a good citizen of the organization. In some cases, the service may demand so much of one's time that compensation for that service is provided. In that case, it is more like a part-time job (e.g. 5-10% of your salary in exchange for a half-day/week of your time).

Why do you ask?

 

[14_karat]

There are the administrative roles of running a department, a practice, a multi-specialty group practice or a hospital. There are also committees one may be elected or appointed to service on as part of being a good citizen of the organization. In some cases, the service may demand so much of one's time that compensation for that service is provided. In that case, it is more like a part-time job (e.g. 5-10% of your salary in exchange for a half-day/week of your time).

Why do you ask?

I'm pre-writing a secondary that asks this: "What percent of your professional time do you expect to devote to (patient care, teaching, research, administrative)?"

I wanted a better understanding of what they might mean by administrative.

 

[LunaOri]

I think in asking that question they may be wanting to know two things: 1. whether you see yourself in a leadership position (department head, CMO) and 2. do you have any idea how much paperwork/committee work/other admin stuff docs really do.

 

[LizzyM]

I would not count the work done in service to patient care such as charting and correspondence on behalf of patients to be "administrative".
I also would not count non-renumerated service to the institution in that accounting (e.g. 10 hours/yr spent serving on a committee or as PBL group leader).

Administrative would be things like: search committee for new hires, leadership of a division, department or in the Dean's office, policy development around marketing & branding, fund-raising if employed by a non-profit.