BUSINESSHitting the business books: Finding a program that's right for youLearning more about the business side of your practice takes time and effort. But it can give your bottom line a lift.By Robert Kazel, amednews staff. July 28, 2003. Doctors can read a medical chart but might have trouble reading a corporate financial statement. They can write a prescription but would likely hesitate in writing a business proposal. They can dissect a cadaver but often not a standard HMO contract. There's good news, though, for doctors who wish to shore up their business know-how: Opportunities and choices abound. Whether a physician wants to pick up immediately useful rudimentary skills or study medical economic trends broadly and deeply, programs are available, from one-day crash courses sponsored by medical societies to Internet classes and comprehensive master's degree programs. Two decades ago, doctors who studied business were attending mostly university programs and looking to ascend corporate ladders to run large health care organizations. These days, when much of doctors' time is spent plugging holes in metaphorical dikes with escaping revenue streams, a working knowledge of the financial side of medicine is a virtual prerequisite to a healthy practice. Doctors are taking business courses to stay in business. Many short, concentrated courses are available on practical topics and aimed at the practicing physician who has no previous knowledge of business. Four years ago, the Tampa-based American College of Physician Executives started to "retool" many courses so they would appeal to the average doctor rather than to would-be corporate barons, says Howard Horowitz, vice president for development of the organization. The ACPE offers a weekend course for doctors from smaller practices called "Learn the Business of Medicine." Held twice a year in various cities, it costs $750 and dishes out a taste of assorted business curricula. [...]Full text of American Medical News content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2003 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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