Running a medical practice is challenging. This is where Practice Managers come in. As a crucial part of the medical administration team, the Practice Manager is responsible for the day to day running of the clinic and ensuring that everything is running smoothly for both the staff and the patients.
The Practice Manager is responsible for a multitude of different roles within the practice from organising and controlling the practice’s resources like administrative systems and equipment, handling patient accounts and records, ensuring the clinic is health and safety compliant and managing staff related matters including hiring, performance management and job training.
Currently, practice management roles are in the middle of an extremely strong period of employment growth. According to Job Outlook (an initiative run by the Australian government) in the past 5 years, the number of Practice Manager jobs has grown by 81%, with that high level of growth expected to continue for at least the next 5 years.
If you are already working in the field of medical administration and want to upskill; are already in a practice management role and want to formalise your skills; or simply want to make a start in the industry using your already developed administration skills, the Diploma of Practice Management can benefit you in three main ways.
1. It fills in gaps in knowledge and gives you new ways to tackle challenges
In the medical industry, standard procedures change on a regular basis to accommodate new legislations and technologies. Even if it’s only been a few years since your last skills refresher course, there have been changes to procedures that you may have missed out on.
For example, recently there have been new laws put in place around patient confidentiality and what to do if your clinic has had a data breach. If you were unaware of these changes, your clinic could be breaking the law if you fall victim to a data breach and didn’t report it to your patients. This course fills the gaps in what you already know and updates you on what’s new in the industry.
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2. More opportunities
The Diploma of Practice Management is certified by the Australian Government and is acknowledged Australia-wide, which means you can work anywhere in the country, instead of your skills being restricted to one state.
For those already working as a Practice Manager but who have learnt their skills while working, instead of through formal qualifications, finding work in the same position can be tricky as employers tend to prefer formal qualifications over on-the-job learning. Having the Diploma in Practice Management coupled with your prior experience in the position makes you more competitive in the job market.
3. It makes you more competitive in the job market
According to Job Outlook, the average level of education held by Practice Managers is a Bachelor’s degree. You need to be competitive and not everyone can take the time to undertake a full Bachelor’s degree. Undertaking a specialised Diploma in Practice Management is the ideal alternative to make you competitive in this market.
To find out more about a Diploma of Practice Management visit the course page and download our comprehensive course guide which includes everything you need to know such as course fees, entry requirements and career outcomes.