What Do Medical Directors Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for medical directors?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what medical directors do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Medical Directors Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about medical directors by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Medical Directors plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.
Popular Job Titles For Medical Directors
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Directors of Nursing
- Patient Care Coordinators
- Medical Directors
- Clinical Supervisors
- Directors of Rehabilitation
- Patient Services Coordinators
- Care Coordinators
- Patient Coordinators
- Referral Coordinators
- Laboratory Managers
- Clinical Directors
- Clinical Managers
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for medical directors can be found.
Best Industries for Medical Directors
Medical Directors Jobs By Industry
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: 23.4%
- Offices of Physicians: 13%
- Outpatient Care Centers: 7.3%
- Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities): 5.5%
- Home Health Care Services: 4.9%
- Offices of Other Health Practitioners: 4.4%
- Other: 41.5%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of medical directors can be found working in the General Medical and Surgical Hospitals sector. In 2023, about 23.4% of all jobs for medical directors were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Offices of Physicians (13%), Outpatient Care Centers (7.3%), Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (5.5%), Home Health Care Services (4.9%) and Offices of Other Health Practitioners (4.4%).
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Degree Options for Medical Directors
Tackle the complexities of the healthcare industry and advance your career with a transfer-friendly 100% online bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Strengthen your leadership skills to play a pivotal role in creating, evolving, and sustaining scientifically based and economically focused healthcare initiatives.
- Class Type: Online coursework
- Years To Complete: 2
- Accreditation: CCNE
Advance your leadership role and improve the effectiveness of healthcare.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Years To Complete: 3
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Be an expert in health policy, operational effectiveness and global healthcare with this online graduate program.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 21
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Earn a 14-month online Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a Specialization in Healthcare and gain interdisciplinary communication and decision-making skills alongside specialized knowledge on healthcare policies, operations and analytics.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
What Do Medical Directors Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what medical directors do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work medical directors do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that medical directors tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for medical directors, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Medical Directors
Based on 461,000 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Medical Directors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 96,012 | 21% |
| Care Coordination | 61,088 | 13% |
| Medical Records | 46,051 | 10% |
| Billing | 39,906 | 9% |
| Auditing | 36,715 | 8% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Medical Directors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 184,028 | 40% |
| Management | 177,312 | 38% |
| Leadership | 161,187 | 35% |
| Operations | 141,907 | 31% |
| Customer Service | 107,452 | 23% |
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.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 96,012 | 21% |
| Care Coordination | 61,088 | 13% |
| Medical Records | 46,051 | 10% |
| Billing | 39,906 | 9% |
| Auditing | 36,715 | 8% |
| Electronic Medical Record | 33,840 | 7% |
| Marketing | 33,824 | 7% |
| Social Work | 31,707 | 7% |
| Case Management | 31,439 | 7% |
| Workflow Management | 30,960 | 7% |
| Quality Improvement | 29,898 | 6% |
| Project Management | 27,891 | 6% |
| Behavioral Health | 27,342 | 6% |
| Mental Health | 26,624 | 6% |
| Home Health Care | 26,190 | 6% |
| Rehabilitation | 25,747 | 6% |
| Medical Terminology | 25,409 | 6% |
| Clinical Experience | 24,460 | 5% |
| Healthcare Industry Knowledge | 24,075 | 5% |
| Medicare | 23,611 | 5% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 184,028 | 40% |
| Management | 177,312 | 38% |
| Leadership | 161,187 | 35% |
| Operations | 141,907 | 31% |
| Customer Service | 107,452 | 23% |
| Coordinating | 83,413 | 18% |
| Scheduling | 76,454 | 17% |
| Planning | 74,792 | 16% |
| Problem Solving | 66,607 | 14% |
| Writing | 57,944 | 13% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 50,536 | 11% |
| Research | 45,609 | 10% |
| Detail Oriented | 44,353 | 10% |
| Microsoft Office | 44,073 | 10% |
| Microsoft Excel | 42,953 | 9% |
| Computer Literacy | 42,373 | 9% |
| Organizational Skills | 39,979 | 9% |
| Supervision | 37,928 | 8% |
| Coaching | 37,839 | 8% |
| Decision Making | 33,647 | 7% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Medical Directors
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Directors of Nursing | 74,532 | 21.1% |
| Patient Care Coordinators | 44,567 | 12.6% |
| Medical Directors | 25,499 | 7.2% |
| Clinical Supervisors | 24,187 | 6.8% |
| Directors of Rehabilitation | 31,461 | 8.9% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2022 and August 2023, the top job sought by employers was directors of nursing, with 21,886 unique job postings. Patient care coordinators were second, with 7,273 postings, followed by medical directors, clinical supervisors and directors of rehabilitation.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to medical directors.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Directors of Nursing | 74,532 | 21.1% |
| Patient Care Coordinators | 44,567 | 12.6% |
| Medical Directors | 25,499 | 7.2% |
| Clinical Supervisors | 24,187 | 6.8% |
| Directors of Rehabilitation | 31,461 | 8.9% |
| Patient Services Coordinators | 14,952 | 4.2% |
| Care Coordinators | 11,875 | 3.4% |
| Patient Coordinators | 12,025 | 3.4% |
| Referral Coordinators | 10,538 | 3% |
| Laboratory Managers | 12,562 | 3.6% |
| Clinical Directors | 18,585 | 5.3% |
| Clinical Managers | 12,931 | 3.7% |
| Referral Specialists | 6,551 | 1.9% |
| Clinic Managers | 7,456 | 2.1% |
| Nursing Home Administrators | 10,635 | 3% |
| Directors of Nursing/Registered Nurses | 8,446 | 2.4% |
| Clinical Coordinators | 6,381 | 1.8% |
| Patient Care Managers | 7,354 | 2.1% |
| Laboratory Supervisors | 6,298 | 1.8% |
| Directors of Behavioral Health | 6,492 | 1.8% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for medical directors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for medical directors.
How much do medical directors make?
Medical Directors: How do you become one?
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