How Doctors Can Lead: A Beginner’s Guide (Ft. Matthew Beuter)

Finding Fulfillment Beyond the Clinic: Lessons in Medical Leadership and Burnout Prevention

Hello and welcome to the Interesting MD blog! I’m Dr. Rob Beck, your host, fellow physician, and passionate advocate for physician well-being. Whether you’re a seasoned doctor, a resident, or someone curious about the life physicians lead outside patient care, this post is for you. Today, I want to share some incredible insights from my recent conversation with Dr. Matt Beuter, a long-time internal medicine physician and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) who has mastered the tightrope between clinical practice, medical leadership, and finding true balance in medicine.

How Medical Leadership Changed My Perspective (and Could Change Yours)

Let’s be honest: the culture in medicine is changing, and it’s never been more important to talk openly about burnout, finding joy, and what it really means to lead in healthcare. When Dr. Matt Beuter joined me on the Interesting MD podcast, I was excited—not just as a former colleague and friend—but as someone who genuinely admires his journey.

Matt has worn every hat, from seeing patients at the Frist Clinic in Nashville for nearly three decades to stepping into medical administration. I asked him: how does someone go from a busy internal medicine practice to a major leadership role covering hundreds of physicians and advanced practice providers?

His answer was refreshingly honest: start by building experience as a practicing physician. Early-career doctors, pay attention here—the best foundation for a future in medical leadership is patient care itself. Committees and administrative work can wait until you’ve genuinely walked the walk.

The Pathway to CMO: It's Not All About the MBA

If you’re anything like me, you’ve sat in meetings with MBAs telling you it’s essential to learn their language to "move up" the ladder. But Matt’s advice stopped me in my tracks: you don’t need an MBA to become a Chief Medical Officer. Sure, it might open a few extra doors, but the reality is—your clinical experience and healthcare perspective are what truly matter in the boardroom.

Often, you’ll be the only physician at the table. Your unique understanding of what doctors face daily, your empathy for patient care, and your years in the trenches—that’s the gold every healthcare system needs. The business side of healthcare has plenty of representation; it’s the medical voice that’s invaluable.

Building Skills Beyond the Exam Room

So, what are the practical steps if you’re mid-career and considering administration? According to Matt, start with committee work. Find your way onto the pharmacy and therapeutics committee, the credentials committee, or similar leadership positions in your group. It’s a stepwise process, and the more you expose yourself to the inner workings of decision-making, the better prepared you’ll be to influence change.

And if you’re already in the thick of your career? It’s not too late! Ask yourself what truly motivates you—is it running towards something meaningful, or away from something you want to escape? Leadership isn’t about leaving patient care behind out of frustration; it’s about wanting to impact the system as a whole.

Work-Life Balance: How a Chief Medical Officer Stays Grounded

Matt’s current life is a balancing act familiar to many of us: half his week in clinical care, half in administration. Some weeks, the scales tip heavily to one side or another, but he’s candid that it only really gets overwhelming when both clinical and administrative fires need extinguishing at once.

Striking that balance is tough, but it’s possible—especially if you have wise counsel at home. (Matt’s wife gave him practical advice I still carry: "A halftime job and a halftime job is a job and a half.") It’s a reminder for all of us not to underestimate the hidden time demands of leadership roles.

Tackling Physician Burnout: From EHRs to Finding Joy Again

Let’s face it: documentation overload is one of the biggest drivers of burnout. Matt and I reminisced about the "good old days" of pagers and payphones, but the reality is, electronic health records (EHRs) have changed the game—and not always for the better.

What’s the antidote? Technology that truly serves us. The most exciting development we discussed is the rise of AI-powered ambient scribes. Imagine dictating your encounter to an app on your phone, and having a complete, accurate note generated for you—freeing you from after-hours charting. This isn’t science fiction; it’s rolling out in clinics and massively alleviating after-hours burden. One of Matt’s pilot users even had their spouse notice they weren’t working late into the evening anymore!

But that’s just one tool. Ultimately, preventing and recovering from burnout is deeply personal:

Reconnect with your purpose: Remember the fulfillment that comes from helping patients. Compassion isn’t just for others; it can heal you too.

Cultivate outside interests: Brew your own beer, join a sports team, read for pleasure—whatever gives you joy that’s unrelated to medicine is vital. (Matt, by the way, is a proud nano-brewer at Paradox Brewing—good for what ales you!)

Leadership Is About Transparency, Not Authority

If you’re worried that stepping into committee or leadership roles means you’re joining some secret society against your peers, let me set the record straight. Transparency and trust are everything. The best leaders invite input, share rationale behind decisions, and foster shared governance.

As Matt described, being a CMO can be less about wielding power and more about listening: “Rarely are these decisions made in a monarchy. It’s more of a democracy.” Leadership is about amplifying the voices of physicians and ensuring the realities of patient care aren’t lost in corporate decision-making.

Is Medical Leadership Worth It—Financially and Personally?

You might be curious—does administration pay? In Matt’s experience, CMO salaries are generally comparable to clinical roles. It's not a get-rich-quick path, but it’s a sustainable one. For most of us, the true reward is impact: helping colleagues, shaping the future of care, and, yes, preventing burnout on a grander scale.

But remember—whatever route you take in your career, align it with meaning and purpose. That’s what’s going to keep you resilient and fulfilled, whether you’re in an exam room or a boardroom.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Let Burnout Win—Find Your Version of Interesting

If you’re struggling, remember: you’re not alone, and there’s hope. Explore new technologies. Reconnect with why you entered medicine. Jump into leadership if it sparks something in you—but do it for the right reasons.

And if you ever want some ideas for hobbies, projects, or just want to hear how others are navigating life in and outside of medicine, check out the Interesting MD podcast and join our community. You can find me on YouTube and all your favorite social platforms as @InterestingMD.

Let’s keep the conversation going—because what we do beyond patient care truly matters.

Have questions, ideas, or want to share your own journey? Drop a comment below, DM me on socials, or email me at rob@interestingmd.com. Stay curious, stay balanced, and keep finding what’s interesting—inside and outside medicine.