Launching Your Career in Medical Practice Management: Essentials for Students

MGMA13 Annual Conference

Breakout Sessions G7-H8

• Ann C. McFarland, FACMPE SOUTHWIND, A Division of The Advisory Board Company

• Norma J. Plante, FACMPE, FACHE Scripps Health

• Peter Rabinowitz P.A.R. Associates

• Lucien W. Roberts, MHA, FACMPE Adjunct Faculty, Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Health Administration

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Learning Objectives The profession of medical practice management

offers diverse career options – a range of choices that can seem daunting to those new to the field. This session will prepare and launch the new professional by: ▫ Providing insights into how administrative

residencies and internships can create job opportunities

▫ How mentoring can leverage your career development

▫ Exploring various practice settings, and assessing your individual management style and focus suitable to those settings

▫ Examining key elements in interviewing for offers

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Agenda

Explore: Residencies & Internships Lucien W. Roberts, FACMPE

Prepare: Mentoring Norma J. Plante, FACMPE

Assess: Understand Thy Style Ann C. McFarland, FACMPE

Launch: Interviewing for Offers Peter A. Rabinowitz

Q&A

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Residencies & Internships

Lucien W. Roberts, III, MHA, FACMPEVCU Department of Health Administration Faculty and

MGMA-ACMPE Student Chapter Advisor

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Learning Objective

▫To provide insights into how administrative residencies and internships can create job opportunities

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Residencies & Internships are…

a) A chance to test and apply your coursework

b) An opportunity to meet potential mentors

c) A time for self-study: knowing what to look for makes it easier to find

d) An extended job audition

e) All of the above

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Residency/Job Correlation

Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Health Administration:

More than 80% of recent MHA residents obtained a position within the organization* where they completed residencies

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Internship Insights

•An unpaid internship in an area of interest is a better career investment than many paid internships▫Let your career, not short-term $, be your

compass

•Internships is plural▫Explore career options▫Expand your network

•If an internship does not exist, create it

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Health System Residencies

• Visit Multiple Medical Practices▫Spend time with more than just doctors

▫Learn the workflows: patients, clinical data, $$

▫Study differences in culture, governance, patient care

▫Get demos of PM/EHR

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Health System Residencies

• Medical Practices Acquisitions▫Study what has worked/not worked with

prior acquisitions Be the student - ask the ‘acquired’ for their insights Review the finances, pre- and post-acquisition Identify cultural fits and misfits Identify key transition success and failure metrics

▫Add value to current/future acquisitions

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One Student’s Sage Advice

•Take time to go through files▫Knowing where/how to find information is big

Most files cannot be found by Googling!

▫You will add value more quickly A positive personal ROI creates job opportunities

•Deliver on EVERY assignment from day one

•Nurture mentor relationships▫Thank them▫Share that you are benefiting from their

guidance

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The LoopRelations

hips

Job Opportunities

JobsExperiences

Networking

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Mentoring

Norma J. Plante, MHSA, FACMPE, FACHEScripps Health

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Learning Objective

▫How mentoring can leverage your career development

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Mentoring

•What is mentoring?•Why is it important?•Benefits to mentor/mentee•Mentor/mentee relationships•Mentor selection•Resources

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What is Mentoring?

•Relationship between individual with advanced knowledge/experience and less experienced person for purpose of professional development and advancing career

•Advice, Counseling, Guidance, Training and Encouragement

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Why is Mentoring Important?•Greater career satisfaction, recognition,

career commitment and career mobility/opportunity

•More positive job attitudes than non mentored individuals

•Up close and personal interaction with senior personnel

•One on one feedback, other than annual evaluation by manager

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What is Motivation/Benefit to Mentor?•Giving back/making contribution to future

generation•Knowledge transfer both ways/new

technical knowledge •Networking•Mentee may be good choice for job

openings•Desire to see mentee succeed

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What is Motivation/Benefit to Mentor?

•Increased leadership/mentoring skills

•Professional recognition/prestige

•Personally benefitted from mentoring

•Fresh enthusiasm for their own career

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Where to Find a Mentor

•MGMA•Alumni Association•LinkedIn•Networking•Referrals•Employer

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Selecting Your Mentor

•Experienced/track record•Compatible/chemistry•Accessible/responsive•Considerate/diplomatic•Supportive/respectful•Baby boomers•Inspirational

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Mentor/Mentee Relationships•Donald Trump/apprentice style•Short/long term•Long distance/local•Occasional/frequent•Clone/younger version of themselves•Formal/informal•Internal/external

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Developing Good Mentor/Mentee Relationships

•Use mentors wisely•Say thanks and acknowledge them•Show respect•Ask for suggestions/advice•Keep commitments•Keep confidence•Listen•Build trust•Develop goals

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Resources• Hudson, D. ( 2010, April 10) Find a Mentor – Be a

Mentor. (ACMPE paper, Medical Group Management Association.)

• Phillips-Jones, L. (2003) The Mentee’s Guide: How to Have a Successful Relationship with a Mentor. CCC/The Mentoring Group, Grass Valley, CA.

• DeRosier, A. (2003) Mentoring and its Value to the Health Care Administrator. (ACMPE paper, Medical Group Management Association.)

• Schrum, Bill, (2009, September) Mentors are Not Fads. MGMA Connexion.

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Understand Thy StyleAnn C. McFarland, FACMPE

SOUTHWIND, A Division of the Advisory Board Company

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Learning Objective

▫Explore various practice settings, and assess your individual management style and focus suitable to those settings

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Exploring the Possibilities…• Multi-Specialty Group Practice• Single Specialty Solo or Group Practice• Academic Faculty Practice• Hospital/Health System Physician Affiliated Practices

▫ Physician Affiliated Model—non employment (MSO, ACO, PHO)

▫ Physician Enterprise Model—Physician Led; Professionally Managed group practice governance model

▫ Hospital Based Employment Model• Management Consulting Group• Managed Care Organization (IPA, ACO, Health Plan)

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Know Thy Self---The Fitness Test

Understand Management FOCUS and STYLE and recognize your own

▪ Is Your Management FOCUS▪Strategic or Operational/Process?

▪ Is Your Management STYLE▪ Interventionist or Maintainer?

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Big Picture Thinker

Embraces Change

Innovative

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FOCUS: STRATEGIC STYLE: INTERVENTIONIST

FOCUS: STRATEGIC STYLE: MAINTAINER

Team Builder and Developer

Organizational Stability

Detailed and Focused

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FOCUS: OPERATIONAL/PROCESS STYLE: INTERVENTIONIST

Directive

Continuous PI Agent

Perfectionist

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FOCUS: OPERATIONAL/PROCESSSTYLE: MAINTAINER

Maintains Status Quo

Develops from Within

Consensus Builder

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Understand Physician Leadership Style

Committee Rule

Dominator Rule

Board Rule

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Exploring the Possibilities…

What Can You Do?

▫Gain Experience▫Understand performance risk▫Match expectations to market reality▫Understand how style affects success

and satisfaction

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Interviewing for Offers Peter A. Rabinowitz

P•A•R• Associates Inc.

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Objective

•Develop effective interviewing skills and techniques that will lead to an offer

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Background Tools and Techniques

Resumes▫What are they, what are they not?

▫Tips on writing resumes▫What makes a good one/bad one?

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Job Hunting is About Selling Yourself•How to improve your selling skills•Specific techniques

▫Burn with a clear blue flame▫Live outside the land of “not”▫Learn to manage the “conflict of

rights”▫Present yourself in terms of ROI

•Dealing with rejection

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Preparing for Interviews

•Researching the company•Researching the interviewer(s)•What about my references…how do I

use them and when?•Practice listening and interviewing

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The Interview and How to Make it Work for You

• Introductions….we’ve just met, now what?• Discussion of work experience in terms of

P/A/R = Problems/Actions/Results• Tough questions ahead:

▫ What kinds of questions might you expect from Human Resources?

▫ What questions might you expect from the hiring manager?

▫ What questions might you have for either or both of them?

▫ How do I deal with “what are your strengths/weaknesses?”

▫ Specific interviewing tips.

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Post-Interview To-Do’s

•Thank you letters•Improving the impression you left

•Post interview critical analysis

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Summary

•Residencies & Internships▫Loop long and prosper▫Don’t drop balls▫If you want to work in medical practice

management, spend time in medical practices

▫Internships and residencies are extended job auditions

▫

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Summary

•Networking…▫Medical practice management is a

profession that cannot be done well from a void

▫A great vehicle for education, experience, exposure, and job opportunities

▫The best fringe benefit of being a practice administrator

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Summary

•Mentoring….Why it is important to your career development▫Provides greater satisfaction,

recognition, career commitment and career mobility/opportunity

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Summary

•Interviewing for Offers…▫Burn with a clear blue flame▫Act “as if”▫Strive to preserve choices▫Live outside the Land of “Not”▫Focus on P/A/R:

Problems/Actions/Results▫Remember: Short answers are

STRONG; long answers are WEAK

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APPENDIX

•Good Luck – Bad Luck•Interviewing is Selling Yourself•Questions from Hiring Managers•Questions to Hiring Managers•Questions from Human Resources and

Recruiters•Post-Interview Analysis•Interviewing for Offers Bibliography

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Contact InformationAnn C. McFarland, FACMPEDirector, Executive Interim ManagementSouthwind, A Division of the Advisory Board CompanyMcFarlaA@advisory.com

Norma J. Plante, FACMPE, FACHESr. Administrative DirectorScripps Healthplante.norma@scrippshealth.org

Peter RabinowitzPresidentP•A•R• Associates Inc.peter@parassoc.comwww.parassoc.com

Lucien W. Roberts, III, FACMPEAdjunct FacultyVirginia Commonwealth University Department of Health AdministrationLucien.roberts@yahoo.com

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