Medical Directors: How to Become One

If you were to ask a group of medical directors about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.

That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for medical directors to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of medical directors expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.

Keep reading to learn more about career steps for medical directors.

What Education & Experience is Needed for Medical Directors?

Do medical directors need a degree? What kind of experience do medical directors typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for medical directors to secure jobs.

Education Level Required in Job Postings for Medical Directors

A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of medical directors. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 31% of positions. In 28% of job listings no education level was listed and in 18% of postings a master's degree was required.

Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Medical Directors

While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for medical directors. In 45% of job postings for Medical Directors, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 27% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience, while 0-1 years of experience was sought in 19% of job postings for medical directors.

What Kind of Degree Do Medical Directors Need?

So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for medical directors, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?

According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 43 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective medical directors, and in 2023 a total of 556,378 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.

Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective medical directors.

Top Degree Programs for Medical Directors

Top Online College For Working Adults

Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.

Degree Options for Medical Directors

What Skills Do Medical Directors Need?

Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by medical directors to secure a job?

A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for medical directors, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.

In-Demand Skills for Today's Medical Directors
Based on 461,000 job postings

Based on 461,000 job postings related to medical directors, nursing was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 21% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for care coordination, medical records, billing, auditing and electronic medical record were also highly sought.

As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for medical directors, followed by management, leadership, operations, customer service and coordinating.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about medical directors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for medical directors.

What do medical directors do?
How much do medical directors make?

All Occupations

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.

View Other Occupations