While most physicians don’t go into medicine with the goal of running a hospital or health system, many soon begin to wonder whether they might make more of an impact in a leadership role. This realization is often a key turning point in a physician’s career. Some will sit back and wait for a physician leadership opportunity to present itself — and sometimes it does — but those who start intentionally and authentically building relationships will find a much smoother path.
In my role as Director of Physician Executive Recruitment at Jackson Physician Search, I spend my days connecting healthcare organizations with the physician leaders who can help them effectively navigate an ever-changing future. The relationships I’ve built with physician leaders all over the country are a critical part of the value I bring to those organizations. Not that I’m bringing them physicians whom I know personally, but I can pick up the phone and ask a physician leader in my network if they know anyone who might be interested…and because physician leaders tend to be well-connected, they often do.
If you aspire to move from the exam room to the boardroom, networking is not optional. It is part of the job you are preparing to do. Here is how I encourage aspiring physician leaders to approach it.
Start Inside Your Own Organization
The most valuable network you have is often the one already around you. Before you look outward, make sure you are nurturing the relationships within your own organization.
That means getting to know people beyond your department. Introduce yourself to nursing leadership, service line administrators, quality and finance teams, and members of the C-suite. The most effective physician executives succeed by working in a “triad” of physician, nursing, and administrative leaders. Recognizing the importance of those partnerships is critical for future success.
Raising your hand for committees or volunteering to mentor a new physician also signals interest in leadership and allows you to build new relationships. Serving on a quality, credentialing, peer review, or strategic planning committee puts you in the room with decision-makers and lets you demonstrate judgment outside a clinical setting. When leadership roles appear, the people who have seen you work are the ones who will think of you first.
Look Outward Through Professional Associations and Education
External networks broaden your perspective and connect you to peers facing the same challenges at other organizations. Professional associations are the most reliable place to start.
The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) is a natural home for aspiring physician leaders. ACHE offers its flagship Congress on Healthcare Leadership along with a network of local chapters across the U.S. and Canada that host educational programs, networking events, and volunteer opportunities close to home. As you advance, its FACHE credential and mentor-matching program are worth exploring as well.
The American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) is another strong resource, with education and community built specifically for physicians moving into management and executive roles.
If you are pursuing additional formal education — an MBA, MHA, MPH, etc. — be sure to take advantage of opportunities to build relationships with your peers. Programs specific to physicians are especially helpful, as these will be your peers in the industry for the duration of your careers. You will no doubt have the opportunity to both give and receive advice and assistance as you navigate your professional paths.
Show Up In Person and Online
Membership only pays off when you engage. Attend the conferences, chapter meetings, and local events these organizations host. Set a modest goal of one meaningful conversation per event, rather than trying to “work the room.” Follow up afterward with a short note, and a passing introduction becomes a real connection.
Digital networking extends that reach between events. LinkedIn is where much of healthcare leadership now lives, and a thoughtful presence there keeps you visible to peers, recruiters, and potential mentors. You don’t need to become an influencer. Sharing an article you found useful, commenting substantively on a colleague’s post, or writing occasionally about what you’re learning is enough to establish yourself as an engaged voice in the field.
Be curious. Connect with people whose careers you want to follow and see the steps they have taken or take. If you are seeking a role, engage with specific companies you are interested in to learn more about their culture and growth. Connect with Talent Acquisition Leaders who will lead searches and speak to them in advance to seek advice on your resume, opportunities, and how to stay connected with them for future positions.
Give Before You Get: Mentorship and Volunteering
The strongest networks are built on generosity, not transactions. Seek out a mentor who has walked the path ahead of you. Someone willing to share hard-won lessons and open doors. But don’t stop there. Offer to mentor others, too. Precepting residents, advising early-career colleagues, or inviting a medical student to shadow you signals leadership readiness and expands your network in ways that pay off for years.
Volunteering works the same way. Serving on a nonprofit board, a specialty society committee, or an ACHE chapter’s leadership team builds governance experience while connecting you with community and industry leaders you would not otherwise meet. Board service, in particular, teaches you to think like an executive — about strategy, finance, and mission — long before you hold the title.
Networking Is a Long Game
The physicians I place in leadership roles didn’t build their networks overnight, and neither will you. Treat networking as an ongoing practice rather than something you do only when you’re job hunting. Be curious, be generous, and be consistent. The relationships you nurture today are the ones that will surface opportunities — and support you through them — for the rest of your career.
Are you an aspiring physician leader or a physician leader ready for a bigger role? The physician executive recruitment team at Jackson Physician Search is eager to learn more about you and share insights into the current market. Reach out today or browse physician leadership jobs online now.
About Mark Dotson
Mark began his career recruiting for Allied Health Therapists (PT, OT, and SLP) for long-term care facilities in 1996. In 2002, he joined HCA Healthcare, recruiting physicians of multiple specialties in the Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana markets. He also worked to develop a team dedicated to sourcing physicians nationally in specific areas of focus for the organization, helping HCA establish an in-house hospital service line for many of its hospitals. Mark saw the growing need for this line of service and was recruited to lead the recruitment effort of Cogent Healthcare.
Mark spent the next nine years in Hospital Medicine recruitment and business development with different companies before finding his way back to HCA. In 2016, he began leading HCA’s Physician Executive Recruitment and Development for the entire country. He quickly realized that combining his focus and excitement for working with physicians and helping grow their careers outside a clinical setting was a perfect fit for him. During his tenure, HCA established CMOs in more than 100+ facilities, as well as created and grew a new entry point for physicians to become leaders by adding the position of ACMO. In 2023, Mark led the company’s recruiting effort to assemble a group of physicians for their newly established team of Medical Directors for Medical Claim Denials. The effort proved successful. Mark and his team hired more than 50 physician leaders in less than 12 months.
Mark lives with his wife and son in Nashville, TN. Outside of work, he loves coaching baseball. He’s been a Little League coach in the local community since 2005, but he’s been happiest coaching his son’s team since 2017.
