Employers

Managers work for primary care facilities or facilities that focus on specialized areas. They may work in clinics that provide urgent care, mental health services, oncology, outpatient surgical procedures, reproductive health services, or other specializations. Approximately 509,500 medical and health services managers, including clinic managers, work in the United States.

Starting Out

Many clinic managers get started in their careers through internships and fieldwork in clinics while they are in college. Part-time and summer jobs in clinics are also a good way to get a foot in the door and gain experience. Those who perform well may get hired for full-time entry-level jobs, which could be as administrative assistant, office manager assistant, or even financial clerk. Your schools career services office can assist you with finding internship and employment opportunities in clinics. Clinic managers also learn of job opportunities through professional associations as well as through job-search sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and SimplyHired, among others.

Clinic managers advance by becoming certified in management and other specializations. They may move up from a small clinic with few staff members and a small budget, to a larger clinic with more staff members, larger budget, and greater responsibilities. Other ways to advance in this career include earning an advanced degree, such as a masters in business administration, health administration, or other specialized area. Clinic managers with years of experience may share their knowledge by teaching in schools and speaking and writing for professional associations. Some clinic managers advance to work as top executives at large chains of medical clinics or in other health care settings.

The best way to gain insights into this field is through an internship or part-time job at medical or health care clinic. Ask your schools career services office for help with finding an opportunity at a clinic near you.

Learn more about healthcare office management education and certification programs by visiting the Web site of the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management, https://my.pahcom.com.

Get involved in professional associations such as the American College of Health Care Administrators (https://www.achca.org) and the American Health Information Management Association (http://www.ahima.org) for access to events and educational programs.