Medical Consultant Job Description

Not to be confused with consultant physicians, medical consultancy is a new job prospect for physicians looking for an alternative to the usual doctor/surgeon route.

The healthcare sector isn’t just doctors and nurses, after all. To run a hospital or any other medical facility, you need people who know how to manage a business and keep things going without any hiccups. And that’s where medical consultants come in.

Medical consultants have become a hot commodity in the U.S., especially considering their significant role in hospital management. Any good hospital in the country will usually have a medical consultant behind the scenes, dealing with everything from finances to patient care.

With the job market on the rise and a potentially great salary package, many physicians are considering becoming medical consultants. 

So, how does one become a medical consultant? What does the job description look like? And what’s up with the title being shared with a separate medical job? We’re going to answer those questions and more.

• What does it mean to be a medical consultant?
• The difference between consultant physicians and medical consultants.
• Why a medical consultant might be the job for you.

The Job Description

A medical consultant deals with the logistics of running a healthcare facility rather than just being a practicing doctor. They manage the business side of things, giving advice on matters such as budgeting and finance.

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But it isn’t just about the corporate stuff. Medical consultants are also responsible for dealing with health and safety practices within the hospital, making sure there are no hazards when it comes to both patients and the staff employed there.

Medical consultants may also be asked to manage the image of the healthcare facility they work for. This includes marketing and campaigns, sure. But it also means dealing with legal issues such as lawsuits or even third-party insurance issues.

However, being a medical consultant doesn’t just mean you’re business savvy. If that was the case, anyone with an MBA could do it.

But no, it’s a physician’s background in medicine that truly helps them here. Patient satisfaction, understanding any concerns of the medical personnel employed at their workplace, or even reviewing cases for insurance compliance – all of these require someone with experience in medicine and healthcare.

It’s exciting because the market is vast. You can easily work for old established businesses. But if you choose, you could also consult new healthcare startups, really helping to build something from the ground up.

And let’s get this out of the way because I know we’re going to get a lot of queries about it: Being a medical consultant is not the same as a consultant physician, which is a senior grade doctor that spearheads a team of other doctors in a specialty or subspecialty. I know it’s confusing. Blame the British.

Essentially, if you want to keep working in a hospital but aren’t too fond of dealing with patients directly? Medical consulting might just be your new calling.

The Requirements to Become a Medical Consultant

Being a medical consultant involves the business of hospital management, so your qualifications for the job must match.

Firstly, let’s talk about personal qualities. Your job is to provide your expertise and communicate with companies. So, great analytical and communication skills are needed to get your ideas heard.

However, you also need good interpersonal skills to make dealings smoother between you, your employer, and any third-party providers. And you have to be meticulous with your work, so attention to detail is everything.

If those are character traits you possess, great! You’ll now need a degree in either hospital management, business, or public health. This is where you learn the practical side of business, from interpreting qualitative and quantitative data to research and more. You’ll also need at least 5 years of clinical experience and a valid medical license.

After you’ve successfully graduated from these programs, it’s time to get some experience in healthcare-associated business management. This means looking for work opportunities in clinics or small-scale practices to solidify your acquired skills before you move on to getting officially licensed.

Certification from the National Society of Certified Healthcare Business Consultants will also amp up your resume in a big way. Hospitals would be more likely to offer employment if you’re both a physician and a Certified Healthcare Business Consultant.

To get one, you need to pass the CHBC Certification Examination, a 4-hour exam that’ll test you on your medical knowledge and applications of principles in the field.

The Potential

If you transition from a practicing physician to a medical consultant, you want it to be worth it, especially after studying a whole new degree and certification.

But that’s where the good news comes in. Salary-wise, you’re looking at $253,975 on average in 2024, a considerable bump from years prior. However, some locations even offer upwards of $300,000 to medical consultants. The lowest it can get is around the $190,000 mark, which is still a six-figure salary per year.

Because being a medical consultant is more or less an office job, it doesn’t have the same problems you’d have being a practicing doctor. The hours are more flexible, and you have less patient dealing. You still have to converse with higher-ups and do much more problem-solving, but that’s just part of the job description.

Great hours and great salary, you’d think there’s a catch there. After all, if being a medical consultant is so lucrative, the job market should be saturated. But nope. Medical consultants are very in demand, with nearly 40% employed by hospitals and the rest by outpatient facilities such labs, clinics, and physician offices.

In fact, medical consultant jobs are expected to grow over 11% by 2028, a rate higher than any other industry growth in the country. According to Forbes, the medical consultant is on the fast track to being an invaluable asset to healthcare facilities everywhere, due to business digitization.