Roles, attributes and career paths of medical administrators in public hospitals: survey of Victorian metropolitan Directors of Medical Services

Aim. To document the roles, the perceived skills and attributes and experience required of Medical Administrators in contemporary public hospitals. Method. Interviews with Directors of Medical Services (DMS) from Victorian metropolitan public hospitals between March 2005 and May 2005. Results. A total of 14 of the 21 DMS in Victoria were interviewed. Key roles: Managing Medical Staff; Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement; Strategy and Service development; and Medical advisor to CEO. Key attributes and skills aligned with roles. Most respondents hold Fellowship of Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (FRACMA) with over half employed for less than 2 years. Discussion. Core roles identified mirrored in key international literature. Recommendations for further study includes systematic review of literature; the influence of the medically-trained Chief Executive on roles; and further analysis of high turnover. Conclusion. This study clarifies the roles undertaken and skills required by Medical Administrators in contemporary public hospitals, providing: (1) role benchmarking for Chief Executives; (2) reduced ambiguity among the broader medical staff of the roles, to assist those who may need Medical Administrator assistance with providing patient care; (3) assisting the Medical Administration profession and RACMA to provide tailored education and training; and (4) to inform aspiring future Medical Administrators of the broad nature of such roles.