Compensation for medical directors varies widely across specialties, with the lowest reported by internists and pediatricians at $7,500, according to the Medical Group Management Association’s “Medical Directorship and On-Call Compensation Survey: 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data.”
Most participants in the MGMA survey reported median annualized compensation levels of less than or equal to $50,000. Only four specialties reported annualized compensation of more than $50,000.
Compensation also varied by practice ownership. According to the survey:
- Radiologists and neurologists reported greater annualized compensation in non hospital-owned practices.
- Family practitioners with and without obstetrics reported greater annualized compensation in hospital-owned practices.
- General surgeons in hospital-owned practices reported $26,972 in annualized compensation, while those in not hospital-owned practices reported $29,904 in annualized compensation.
- Emergency medicine physicians earned $50,000 in hospital-owned practices and $40,000 in not hospital-owned practices.
[See related story: Physicians earn more in larger physician practices.]
Most medical directors spend four to six hours per week on directorship duties, according to the survey. Those duties include developing policies and procedures, attending meetings, clinical peer review, community relations and strategic development.
Anatomical and clinical pathologists reported the greatest number of hours worked per week in a medical directorship (31 hours), while noninvasive cardiologists reported the fewest number of hours worked per week in a medical directorship (three hours).
"With expanding emphasis on clinical quality and safety, the demands placed upon medical directors will continue to increase,” said Todd Evenson, assistant director of surveys at the MGMA. “As physician practices begin to examine participation in new care delivery models, the medical director’s leadership will be pivotal in aligning clinical teams with the organization’s objectives.”