Interviewing for physician leadership positions

You’ve already mastered being a stand-out candidate during the job search. But, if you want to advance your career and step into leadership positions within your own organization, you’ll have to embrace the candidate mindset yet again. However, this time, you have the advantage of an internal perspective when interviewing for physician leadership positions.

If you’re preparing to impress and make a case for why you’re the right team member to step into a leadership position at your organization, don’t go into an interview with your superior without reviewing these tips:

Know what details to prepare and present to current leaders

The same way you’d show up prepared for a standard job interview, you want to arrive with important information and materials that back up your experience when interviewing for leadership positions.

Before your meeting, consider creating a condensed resume, cover letter or personal summary that focuses mainly on employment at your present organization. This summary can include:

• Your current title, specialty and employment start date.
• Responsibilities in your current role.
• Examples of leadership qualities you’ve utilized in various situations.
• Notable achievements, awards or research you’ve conducted.
• References from your current superiors or administrators.

Ask questions that showcase your leadership potential

During your interview, you’re not just showing superiors you’re qualified for the job, you’re also showing them you’re ready and willing to take on the additional responsibilities that come with the role.

The questions you ask during these conversations can reveal a lot to interviewers about your professional maturity, where your priorities lie and your ability to delegate. Be sure to ask questions that show your preparedness, such as:

• In the day to day, how might you describe the key differences between this leadership role and my responsibilities, vs. my current role now?
• Can you provide more insight into the specific administrative tasks required in this role?
• What qualities would you say are most essential for an individual in this position?
• Can you tell me about the projected workload for fulfilling administrative duties vs. seeing patients? How much day-to-day medical practice is to be expected in this role?
• Is there anything about my experience that might make you hesitant about my ability to fulfil the expectations of this leadership position I can address today?

Give compelling examples of your ability to lead

During the interview, you’ll be asked several questions to shed light on your ability to problem solve, unite teams and manage multiple tasks at once.

When you’re asked to provide examples of times you’ve acted as a leader in your current role, specificity and clarity is key:

• Keep the story as positive as possible, even when discussing challenges.
• Don’t single out or talk negatively about any individuals; elevate others and show them you’re a team player.
• Share how you learned about the challenge, how you addressed it and the result.
• Make sure your examples emphasize your ability to communicate and resolve confusion or overcome obstacles.
• Don’t be afraid to mention your own outstanding qualities, such as your time management skills, ability to provide constructive criticism and commitment to quality.
• Lean into your organization’s core values and how you embody them not only in everyday practice but also during high-stress situations.

Moving into a position of leadership is a big career step – and it can be a great one if you’re fully prepared for what the role entails and the level of responsibility that will be expected. The most important thing is to make sure you understand the role and how it might change your everyday work duties and dynamics.

As a physician, you’re already a leader of health. Now, all you have to do is show your organization’s leaders you’ve got what it takes to join them at the head of the pack.