The current landscape of healthcare has left many physicians disillusioned and burnt out. According to the Physicians Advocacy Institute’s report in April 2024, over 77% of physicians in the U.S. are currently employees of hospitals, health systems, or other corporate entities. Meanwhile, the ASC Review in September 2024 concluded that employment is strongly correlated with physician burnout, likely due to longer working hours, higher administrative burden and decreased autonomy. As a result, most physicians I know aspire to join private practices, and if that is not possible, they quietly resign to their fate and accept a career that is often marked with frustration and disengagement.
This does not need to be the case. As a mid-career employed physician who has spent more than a decade in practice, my growth as an effective leader reflects a new era of physician leadership. After completing my fellowship training from a reputed institution in 2015, I started working as a hematologist/oncologist at a community hospital cancer center. I dedicated my initial years to developing a strong clinical practice. I networked with referring physicians and made myself readily available to the steady influx of referrals.
After just two years of practice, I was promoted to the role of Associate Medical Director, allowing me to explore opportunities in administration and leadership. In addition to patient care, I focused my time on the various organizational aspects of running a busy cancer center and steadily developed the skills needed to be an effective leader. When the opportunity opened up, I was selected as the Medical Director, remarkably just seven years after first being hired. In this pivotal role, I have continued to thrive and established myself as a respected physician leader. In fact, I was recently appointed to my hospital’s Board of Trustees, a true testament to the unique and fulfilling arc my career has taken.
While navigating these various steps of my career, I have gained some wisdom along the way. There are five essential lessons one must master to become a successful physician leader in today’s environment.
1) Build a good reputation first.
It was important to invest my initial years in building a robust clinical practice and becoming a valued and respected physician in the community. To gain the confidence and trust of patients and peers, I focused on refining my clinical skills, deepening my medical knowledge and cultivating exemplary bedside manners.
Through strong communication and collegial relationships with fellow physicians, I laid the foundation for mutual support for when it may be needed in the future. Though my administrative responsibilities increased and my time in the clinic lessened over time, I did not lose the trust of my colleagues because of the iron-clad reputation I had built.
2) Show up.
In addition to the obligations of my day job, I took every opportunity to participate in hospital committees, community outreach programs and social gatherings. For example, I was co-chair for the hospital charity ball, and I led a team of volunteers for the cancer center TeamWalk. I attended annual holiday parties and toasted senior colleagues at their retirement farewells. This did require careful management of personal time in the evenings and on weekends, but in the end, events such as these provided me a valuable opportunity to gain visibility and strengthen my working relationships with my peers and with senior administration.
3) Delegate and trust. As my roles and responsibilities grew, I learned to master the art of delegation. Micromanaging and carrying everything on your shoulders will eventually lead to burnout. Thus, it is critical to build a good team with members who are competent and trustworthy so you can outsource much of the work to them. Over time, you will learn to guide and mentor them and perhaps even shape the leaders of the future.
4) Speak their language. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, physician leaders must rise to the challenge and embrace fiscal stewardship, ensuring their institutions not only survive but thrive. The primary mission of any clinician is to provide exceptional high-quality patient care, but this must be achieved in tandem with sound financial management. When I advocate for additional resources or a better work-life balance for my clinicians, I am sure to present it in terms of a sound business plan. By articulating a well-defined return on investment, I am often successful in gaining alignment from senior administration.
5) You win some, you lose some. I learned very quickly that leadership does not mean always getting your way. Approaching differences in opinion with ego or taking opposition personally can destabilize relationships and stall progress. Thus, I learned to accept setbacks graciously by becoming more empathetic to others’ points of view. Consequentially, I have been able to stay focused on the broader goal and move forward with renewed strength and perspective. In fact, over time, I have even learned to pick my battles—compromising on less critical issues to gain influence on those that are more impactful and important.
I consider myself a physician who is grateful for the road I have taken thus far and genuinely optimistic about the future of my medical career. I have found fulfillment not only in being a clinician but also in serving as a physician leader who is able to drive impactful change alongside hospital leadership. I hope to inspire others to join me on this path.
What are some of the words you live by when it comes to being a good physician leader? Share in the comments!
Dr. Anasuya Gunturi is currently the Chief of hematology/oncology and Medical Director of the Cancer Center at Tufts Medicine Lowell General Hospital in Massachusetts. She also serves on the hospital's board of trustees.
Illustration by April Brust
