More physicians are taking on critical hospital administration roles in addition to their practice to support the functioning of health systems. One medical school leader is now encouraging more premedical students to learn administrative skills, U.S. News & World Report reported Nov. 9.
Sam Shen, MD, vice chair of clinical operations and quality at Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine, told U.S. News that he believes it is important for physicians to understand the landscape of hospitals and health systems.
"Just like the practice of clinical medicine has advanced and evolved over the past several decades, management of the delivery system has evolved as well." Dr. Shen told U.S. News. "It's not enough to be experts in the practice of medicine, as future doctors will also need to understand the economic landscape, payer dynamics and regulatory forces that affect health care delivery."
Dr. Shen subsequently set up an administrative fellowship in the school's emergency medicine department. The program allows residents to participate in projects related to quality, process improvement, and billing and coding alongside their clinical duties.