How to Secure a Rewarding Medical Director Position

Physician NonClinical Careers with John Jurica

Today's interview is loaded with practical advice on how to pursue a job as a medical director for a health plan. My guest, Rich Berning, helps tease out the various roles within that career, and also explains related jobs with an Independent Review Organization and a hospital UM department.

Rich is a full-time medical director. His first job in the field was with Anthem in Albany, NY. After working there for 5 years he recently accepted a promotion with another insurance company, in Pittsburgh, PA.

Prior to entering the health plan world, Rich practiced pediatric cardiology for 20 years. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He completed his pediatrics residency at Stanford University and his cardiology fellowship at the University of California San Francisco.

I really enjoyed hearing about Rich's journey. He described in detail the duties of a health plan medical director. He compared utilization management, utilization review and case management for us, and how each fits into his work with a health plan.

Rich described what he likes about his role, the expected salary range, and how to pursue this popular nonclinical career.

You can find links to the resources mentioned in today’s interview, and a transcript of the interview, by going to the show notes at vitalpe.net/episode088.

I’ve got one more interview with one of the speakers from the Physicians Helping Physicians conference coming up. I’m circling back to medical science liaison Dr. Swathi Shah next time, because I’m getting ready to release a free-mini course on how to become an MSL.

If you'd like to be notified when the new course is released, simply join my mailing list at vitalpe.net/newsletter.