Is a Physician Practice Management Certificate Program Worthwhile?

If you already work in the healthcare field as a medical assistant, medical billing specialist or in a similar role, and are looking to advance your career you may want to consider a Physician Practice Management Certificate program.

What will a Physician Practice Management Certificate Program do for me?

The Physician Practice Management Certificate program may help you move into a Practice Manager supervisory role if you have previous business experience in the healthcare industry.

What are the Benefits of a Physician Practice Management Certificate Program?

• Gain the knowledge a Physician Practice Manager needs. See the curriculum for this program.
• Already a Practice Manager? Expand your expertise and skills.
• Truly be prepared for the Certified Physician Practice Manager (CPPM®) exam by faculty who understand the exam and can provide invaluable information to help you earn your credential.

• • •  Issued by the American Academy of Professional Coders, the CPPM® credential allows a healthcare professional to display expertise in areas that are important for a Physician Practice Manager to be skilled in like corporate compliance, marketing, human resource management, and physician reimbursement.
    • Work toward earning your CPPM® credential to demonstrate your expertise and commitment. Don’t have healthcare management experience? Earning your credential may help show that you are qualified to move into this supervisory role.
• UC Online offers flexible scheduling to fit learning around your busy life.
  • •  UC offers six start dates per year (two in the fall, spring, and summer).
    •  UC also offers full and part-time scheduling.
• This certificate program is affordable and tuition assistance may be available.

What does a Physician Practice Manager do?

A physician practice management professional works in a small medical practice to develop business strategies, manage budgets, and oversees day-to-day operations (such as scheduling, billing, and collections). A Practice Manager ensures that the business needs of a practice are met. They may also help actively recruit new patients.

Who is Right for a Practice Manager Career?

Look at a snapshot of the typical Practice Manager job listing, and you will notice that most Practice Managers must have previous healthcare experience. That experience may come from past jobs such as physician coordinator, billing specialist, medical secretary, or health information technician.

Some of the top qualities an effective Physician Manager possess are:

• Strong Communication Skills
• Solid Organizational Skills
• Conflict Resolution Skills
• Multitasking Skills
• Leadership Skills

Job Outlook of a Practice Manager

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for medical and health services managers working within a physician office was $91,600 in 2019.

Employment for medical and health services managers is projected to grow 32 percent from 2019 to 2029. This projected growth is attributed to medical advances that will allow some services provided in hospitals to shift to physician offices. Over time, the demand for medical group practice management professionals is expected to grow as medical practices become larger and more complex. ¹

Enroll in an Online Physician Practice Management Certificate Program

Earn your degree on your own time, at your own pace through a nationally recognized university whose courses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Visit UC Online’s Physician Practice Management Certificate program page to learn more.

Sources:

¹https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-6