Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Physician

🎯 Role Definition

A Physician delivers high-quality, evidence-based medical care to patients across the lifespan within an outpatient, inpatient, or mixed clinical setting. This role requires diagnostic acumen, procedural competence, strong clinical documentation, effective care coordination with multidisciplinary teams, and adherence to regulatory and quality standards (HIPAA, CMS). The Physician will manage patient panels, lead quality improvement initiatives, participate in teaching and research as required, and leverage electronic medical record (EMR) systems and telemedicine platforms to optimize access and outcomes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Residency graduate (MD/DO) entering first clinical attending role
Hospitalist or outpatient clinic physician fellowships
Advanced practice providers (transitioning to physician via additional training)

Advancement To:

Senior Attending Physician or Department Lead
Medical Director or Clinical Program Director
Fellowship Director or Academic Faculty (Associate Professor / Professor)

Lateral Moves:

Hospitalist to outpatient primary care practice (or vice versa)
Clinical specialty change via additional training (e.g., hospital medicine → critical care)
Transition into policy, quality improvement, or population health roles

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide comprehensive patient evaluation and management by obtaining a complete history, performing focused and system-based physical examinations, generating differential diagnoses, ordering and interpreting appropriate diagnostic studies (labs, imaging, EKGs), and initiating evidence-based treatment plans.
Diagnose and manage acute and chronic medical conditions, adjusting therapy based on clinical response, laboratory values, imaging, and multidisciplinary input, with timely follow-up and continuity of care.
Perform inpatient admission, daily rounding, and safe transitions of care including comprehensive discharge planning, medication reconciliation, and clear handoffs to post-acute providers.
Deliver outpatient primary or specialty care visits including preventive screenings, chronic disease management (diabetes, heart disease, COPD, asthma), medication management, and counseling on lifestyle modification and risk reduction.
Document clinical encounters accurately and completely in the electronic medical record (EMR), ensuring timely charting, problem lists, medication lists, allergies, and compliance with billing - ICD-10 / CPT coding guidance and clinical documentation improvement (CDI) best practices.
Prescribe and manage medications responsibly, including controlled substances when appropriate, maintaining compliance with state and federal regulations and utilizing Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs).
Order, interpret, and act on diagnostic tests (laboratory, radiology, pathology), escalate abnormal results promptly, and coordinate necessary referrals to specialists to ensure integrated patient care.
Participate in on-call rotations, respond to urgent and emergent clinical situations, and provide timely clinical decision-making in high-acuity contexts, consulting specialists as needed.
Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary care conferences and case reviews (social work, nursing, pharmacy, rehabilitation), driving comprehensive care plans for complex patients and reducing avoidable readmissions.
Engage in quality improvement and patient safety initiatives: develop metrics, analyze outcomes, implement Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, and report on performance related to clinical quality, readmissions, sepsis, and patient satisfaction.
Provide procedural skills relevant to the specialty (e.g., joint injections, intubation, lumbar puncture, central line placement, minor surgical procedures), including pre-procedure assessment and post-procedure follow-up.
Utilize telemedicine platforms to expand access, conduct virtual visits, evaluate remote monitoring data, and document telehealth encounters in accordance with payer and regulatory requirements.
Mentor and supervise medical students, residents, and other learners; participate in didactic teaching, evaluation, and curriculum development aligned with academic and accreditation standards.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of clinical guidelines, emerging therapies, and best practices by participating in continuing medical education (CME), journal review, and professional society engagement.
Ensure compliance with institutional policies, state medical board rules, HIPAA, infection control protocols, and safety procedures while contributing to departmental risk management efforts.
Communicate effectively with patients and families regarding diagnoses, prognoses, treatment options, informed consent, and advance care planning, demonstrating cultural sensitivity and aligning plans with patient goals.
Lead or participate in clinical research projects, registries, or clinical trials, ensuring adherence to research protocols, informed consent processes, and data integrity when applicable.
Collaborate with care managers and population health teams to close preventive care gaps, manage high-risk patient registries, and implement care management strategies to improve outcomes and reduce costs.
Manage resource utilization and cost-conscious care by selecting appropriate diagnostics and treatments, discussing value-based options with patients, and supporting institutional financial stewardship.
Participate in credentialing, peer review, morbidity and mortality reviews, and performance evaluations; provide constructive feedback and engage in continuous professional development.
Facilitate referrals and follow-ups with community providers and social services, addressing social determinants of health and linking patients to behavioral health, home health, and community resources.
Respond to regulatory audits, payer inquiries, and quality reporting requirements (HEDIS, CMS star measures), ensuring accurate data submission and timely remediation of identified issues.
Contribute to practice operations by supporting scheduling optimization, patient throughput initiatives, capacity planning, and clinic workflow improvements to enhance access and patient experience.
Act as a clinical leader in emergency preparedness and public health responses (e.g., outbreaks, mass casualty incidents), participating in drills and coordinating clinical resources as needed.

Secondary Functions

Participate in departmental administrative meetings, strategic planning, and policy development to improve clinical services and patient outcomes.
Support physician recruitment and onboarding activities, including interviewing, mentoring new hires, and assisting with orientation to institutional systems and EMR workflows.
Serve on hospital or clinic committees (e.g., infection control, pharmacy and therapeutics, ethics, utilization review) to shape institutional policy and care standards.
Contribute to patient education materials, population health campaigns, and community outreach activities to promote preventive care and health literacy.
Assist with utilization review and appeals processes, providing clinical justification for care and documentation to support medical necessity determinations.
Collaborate with IT and informatics teams to refine EMR templates, order sets, and clinical decision support tools that enhance clinical efficiency and quality.
Engage in billing and revenue cycle optimization by ensuring accurate encounter coding, prompt documentation, and collaboration with billing teams to reduce denials.
Support grant writing or philanthropic initiatives when applicable to secure funding for clinical programs or research endeavors.
Provide expert witness or medico-legal consultation for institutional legal matters when requested and within scope of expertise.
Participate in cross-functional projects such as value-based contracting, population health analytics, and clinical pathway development.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Board certification or board eligibility in relevant specialty (MD or DO) — evidence of continuous certification maintenance.
Proficiency with electronic medical records (EMR) systems such as Epic, Cerner, Allscripts, or Meditech for documentation, order entry, and results review.
Strong clinical diagnostic skills with experience interpreting labs, radiology, EKGs, pulmonary function tests, and other specialty-specific diagnostics.
Procedural competencies relevant to specialty (e.g., lumbar puncture, airway management, central venous access, suturing, joint injections).
ACLS, BLS, and PALS certification as appropriate for clinical setting; comfort with advanced life support protocols.
Familiarity with ICD-10 and CPT coding conventions and clinical documentation improvement (CDI) practices to support accurate billing and compliance.
Experience with telemedicine platforms (Amwell, Doxy.me, Zoom for Healthcare) and virtual visit workflows including remote patient monitoring.
Competence in medication management including formulary navigation, drug-drug interaction assessment, and controlled substance prescribing with PDMP use.
Quality improvement and patient safety methodologies (PDSA, root cause analysis, Lean/Six Sigma basics) with experience implementing process improvements.
Knowledge of population health concepts, risk stratification, care management, and value-based payment models (e.g., ACOs, MACRA, MIPS).
Experience conducting and/or participating in clinical research, IRB submissions, and maintaining research documentation when applicable.
Skilled in communicating complex clinical information to patients, families, and colleagues; strong documentation and medical record management.

Soft Skills

Exceptional communication skills — clear, compassionate, and culturally sensitive verbal and written communication with patients, families, and teams.
Clinical judgment and decisive problem-solving abilities under pressure.
Empathy and patient-centered orientation focused on shared decision-making and respect for patient preferences.
Teamwork and collaboration across multidisciplinary care teams including nursing, pharmacy, social work, and ancillary services.
Time management and organizational skills to balance patient care, administrative duties, and teaching/research responsibilities.
Leadership and mentorship capability to guide trainees, junior physicians, and interdisciplinary staff.
Adaptability and resilience to manage changing clinical volumes, evolving guidelines, and technology updates.
Conflict resolution and negotiation skills for managing patient expectations and interdisciplinary disagreements.
Attention to detail and commitment to documentation accuracy, coding compliance, and regulatory adherence.
Continuous learner mindset with curiosity for evidence-based practice improvement and lifelong professional development.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

MD (Doctor of Medicine) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathy) degree and successful completion of an accredited residency program in the relevant specialty.
Active state medical license and valid DEA registration (or ability to obtain).

Preferred Education:

Board certification in the applicable specialty (e.g., Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, Surgery).
Fellowship training for sub-specialty positions (e.g., cardiology, critical care, oncology).
Additional degrees or certifications such as MPH, MBA, or Lean/Six Sigma preferred for leadership or population health roles.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Medicine (MD/DO)
Internal Medicine
Family Medicine
Pediatrics
Emergency Medicine
Surgery or Surgical Subspecialties
Psychiatry
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Geriatrics
Hospital Medicine

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 0–7 years post-residency for early-career roles; 3–10+ years for senior or leadership positions depending on specialty and practice setting.

Preferred:

2–5 years of independent clinical practice in the relevant specialty with demonstrated patient panel management and procedural competence.
Experience in academic settings or teaching hospitals is preferred for roles with educational responsibilities.
Prior involvement in quality improvement, committee work, or leadership roles is highly desirable.
Demonstrated comfort with EMR-driven workflows, telemedicine delivery, and participation in population health initiatives.