What Does a Medical Consultant Do? Salary, Qualifications for Career Changers, and a List of Firms

“What does a medical consultant do?” “What skills and qualifications are needed to become a medical consultant?” — do you have these questions?

This article addresses those questions in the following order:

• What medical consultants do
• Skills required of medical consultants
• Recommended qualifications for medical consultants

This article is useful for those considering a career change to medical consulting. Please read to the end.

※Information about companies and examinations mentioned in this article is current as of 2024.

What Is a Medical Consultant?

A medical consultant is a professional who provides consulting services to healthcare facilities such as hospitals, nursing care facilities, and welfare institutions, as well as to manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, helping them identify and resolve management challenges.

Healthcare, nursing care, and welfare are all highly public-interest fields that are indispensable to society. While there are specialists such as doctors and nurses, in most cases there are few people well-versed in management, unlike general corporations. In practice, there is a growing number of cases where healthcare facilities seek management-related support.

Medical consultants perform socially meaningful work by providing management advice and support to help high-public-interest organizations maintain sound operations.

What Medical Consultants Do

Medical consultants work in two main areas: consulting for healthcare organizations such as hospitals, and consulting for healthcare-related companies. Below is an explanation of each type of consulting.

Consulting for Healthcare Organizations

There are five main types of consulting services provided to healthcare organizations.

Practice Launch Support

The first area of work involves supporting the launch of a new practice. Starting an independent practice involves a wide range of tasks: selecting a location, drafting a financial plan, negotiating with financial institutions, recruiting and training staff, selecting pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, designing the facility layout, creating a website, and filing the various applications required for opening.

Beyond these, it is also necessary to verify tax regulations, legal requirements, and in some cases local ordinances in advance. Since it is difficult for the opening physician to handle all of this alone, medical consultants provide this support.

Management Support and Improvement Planning

This involves analyzing financial conditions and the state of regional healthcare, then formulating management strategies and providing support for revenue improvement, patient acquisition support through digital marketing and other channels, and proposals for business expansion.

In most cases, physicians are medical experts but not management experts.

Building a stable management foundation requires the expertise of medical consultants who can analyze and investigate management challenges from multiple angles and guide organizations toward solutions.

Staffing and Staff Development

Staff shortages are a constant challenge in healthcare and nursing care settings.

Beyond recruitment activities, medical consultants also support the development of hired staff and work to improve the work environment in order to reduce turnover and improve staff retention. Lower turnover rates also lead to reduced recruitment costs.

IT Implementation and Digital Transformation

In recent years, there has been a growing trend toward smart hospital adoption, which uses IT technology to streamline operations, reduce the workload of healthcare professionals, and improve the quality of care.

Introducing IT is not simply a matter of deploying electronic medical records and other IT equipment. The functions required of IT systems differ from facility to facility.

Without both IT knowledge and knowledge of healthcare organizations, it is difficult to achieve optimal IT implementation and digital transformation. Medical consultants’ expertise is therefore needed in this area as well.

Business Succession Support

Supporting the transfer of a business to a successor is also part of the medical consultant’s role.

Since existing facilities and patient relationships can be taken over as-is, succession is beneficial for both the successor and the outgoing owner. However, whether taking over everything or discontinuing or selling certain parts, the process requires formal procedures.

Since regular operations cannot be suspended while these procedures are being handled, medical consultants take on the portions of the work that can be delegated.

Consulting for Healthcare-Related Companies

The following three areas represent the main consulting services provided to healthcare-related companies.

Formulating Management Strategy

This includes consulting on new business development, R&D strategies for new products and services, M&A, and medium- to long-term management strategy formulation. The healthcare and nursing care industry is highly specialized.

In particular, when consulting on specialized pharmaceuticals or medical devices, consultants cannot provide optimal advice without in-depth knowledge of those products. As such, in addition to fundamental consulting knowledge and skills, highly specialized expertise unique to the healthcare and nursing care industry is required.

Sales Support and Operational Efficiency

Sales support does not mean improving only the efficiency of the sales department. It also involves streamlining functions such as planning, development, and manufacturing to improve overall productivity for the client company.

Sales and marketing strategy development are areas where consultants excel, but the healthcare and nursing care industry operates differently from other industries, making it difficult to apply the same methods directly. That is why the experience and knowledge of medical consultants who are well-versed in the industry are essential.

IT Implementation Support

Tailoring IT system deployment to client needs — from implementation through post-launch support — is also part of the medical consultant’s work.

IT systems span a wide range, from accounting to customer management. Replacing existing systems can improve operational efficiency and support marketing strategies, contributing to the resolution of a wide variety of client management challenges.

The Rewarding Aspects of Being a Medical Consultant

Here are four rewarding aspects of working as a medical consultant.

Contributing to People and Society

By supporting healthcare facilities and healthcare-related companies, medical consultants can contribute to society indirectly.

When a healthcare facility improves its management, it becomes capable of delivering higher-quality care. When a healthcare-related company improves its management, there is a greater likelihood of new products and services being developed, which ultimately raises the overall quality of healthcare.

Working with a Diverse Range of People

Medical consultants work with a wide variety of healthcare organizations and healthcare-related companies.

In addition to professionals from various healthcare-related fields, there are also opportunities to work alongside people who are true specialists in their domains, providing constant new stimulation.

Being able to work in an environment where you are continually exposed to new ideas will feel both rewarding and attractive for those with a strong drive to grow.

Gaining Knowledge of the Latest Medical Advances

Medical consultants frequently have opportunities to be involved in research and development of the latest medical technologies and equipment, which means they gain knowledge of cutting-edge medicine.

Acquiring this knowledge requires learning in your personal time as well, but for those with a strong desire to learn and grow, working in an environment where you constantly gain the latest knowledge can feel not only rewarding but genuinely enjoyable.

Potential for High Income

The potential for high income is another rewarding aspect of being a medical consultant. While indirect, medical consulting involves work related to people’s lives and health, making it a highly responsible role.

Being compensated in a way that reflects the weight of that responsibility and the results achieved serves as a source of motivation — not just for medical consultants, but for professionals in any field.

Typical Salary Range for Medical Consultants

The typical annual salary for medical consultants appears to be ¥4 million to ¥20 million for those serving healthcare organizations, and ¥5 million to ¥30 million for those serving healthcare-related companies.

These figures represent the salaries of consultants employed at consulting firms and similar organizations. The wide range reflects the full spectrum from the entry-level analyst position to the top-level partner position.

Because healthcare-related companies tend to operate at a larger scale than healthcare facilities, consultants serving companies generally earn higher salaries.

Some medical consultants work as freelancers. Many projects offer fees of ¥1 million or more per month, and those with sufficient track record, experience, and skills may be able to earn more as a freelancer than working at a consulting firm.

However, freelancers have no guarantee of a steady flow of projects. If you are aiming for freelance work in the future, make sure to build your professional network and lay the groundwork for securing projects before making the leap to independence.

Skills Required of Medical Consultants

Here is an overview of the skills required of medical consultants.

Logical Thinking

Logical thinking is essential for solving the challenges clients face. Because a medical consultant’s work directly affects client management, clients will not be convinced by ideas based on intuition or unsupported proposals.

Even a seemingly simple problem may conceal other issues when viewed from a different angle — issues that must be resolved to address the root cause. It is important to think through problems in a structured, logical way and to consider them from multiple perspectives.

Management Skills

Medical consultants carry out their work in collaboration with project team members, clients, and many others. Successfully managing a project requires skills that span every aspect of it: selecting team members and assigning roles, setting timelines and deadlines, and managing budgets.

Management skills are a composite of multiple abilities, including the capacity to accurately assess people’s capabilities and strong negotiation skills. They are developed gradually through practice and experience.

Communication Skills

Communication skills are also a critical competency for medical consultants. Communication skills are not merely about building positive relationships with everyone involved in a project — they are about conveying your own ideas accurately to others and understanding others’ perspectives accurately.

Since medical consultants work with different clients on each project, they must build trust quickly and identify challenges in a short period of time. High-level communication skills are essential because they directly affect whether a project succeeds.

Presentation Skills

Presentation skills are necessary to get clients to accept your proposed solutions. No matter how excellent a proposal is, verbal explanation alone has its limits. Using materials and other resources, you must be able to explain concisely and clearly what kind of results a proposal is expected to deliver, so that clients can truly understand it.

A delivery that lacks confidence makes it harder for the audience to absorb the content. If you feel your presentation skills need work, build them up through repeated practice.

Multitasking Skills

Managing multiple projects simultaneously is the norm for medical consultants.

Running multiple projects concurrently increases the risk of errors. Depending on the nature of a mistake, it can have a significant impact on a project — which is why the ability to handle multiple projects at once is also required of medical consultants.

Mental Resilience

The consulting industry is a performance-driven world. Consistently delivering results is not an issue, but a prolonged period without results can take a serious mental toll — in the worst cases, it may lead to burnout.

Medical consulting, while indirect, is work that touches on people’s lives and health. Because mistakes can indirectly affect people’s lives and wellbeing, strong mental resilience is required to withstand the pressures and stresses of the role.

Physical Stamina

Working conditions in the consulting industry are said to have improved compared to the past, but long hours and weekend work can still occur during crunch periods near deadlines.

In addition, clients are not necessarily located near the consulting firm. Even when a client is far away, regular on-site visits are required, making business travel a common part of the job. Just like mental resilience, physical stamina is also required of medical consultants.

Knowledge of Business Management

The work of a medical consultant involves resolving management challenges for healthcare facilities and related companies. Naturally, knowledge of management, accounting, and finance is indispensable. In addition to general accounting and financial knowledge, it is also necessary to develop familiarity with the accounting and financial practices specific to healthcare organizations.

This knowledge develops with experience as a medical consultant, but to work effectively, it is important to obtain qualifications suited to the duties of a medical consultant and build that knowledge base proactively.

Knowledge of Healthcare Operations

Knowledge of healthcare operations is also critical. Resolving management challenges at healthcare facilities requires a thorough understanding of how they function. Healthcare organizations operate quite differently from general corporations.

It is necessary to understand healthcare facility operations, the workflows of physicians, nurses, and other roles, and the medical fee reimbursement system. Medical fee reimbursement in particular is directly tied to a facility’s revenue. Since the system is revised every few years, staying current with the latest knowledge is essential.

Knowledge of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices

Consulting for healthcare-related companies requires knowledge of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Developing new business models and formulating marketing strategies requires knowledge of the pharmaceutical and medical device market landscape, industry distribution channels, and regulatory approval processes.

These types of knowledge and skills are indispensable for working as a medical consultant.

Recommended Qualifications for Medical Consultants

While no specific qualification is required to work as a medical consultant, the healthcare industry is highly specialized. To earn the trust of clients, having credentials that demonstrate specialized knowledge is beneficial. Below are recommended qualifications for medical consultants.

Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant (SME Consultant)

The SME Consultant (Chusho Kigyo Shindanshi) is a national qualification that certifies the holder’s ability to provide appropriate business management advice to small and medium-sized enterprises.

It objectively demonstrates broad knowledge across accounting, finance, management, human resources, and related laws, making it one of the most suitable qualifications for consultants.

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a national qualification that certifies the holder as a specialist with advanced knowledge of accounting and finance. With the accounting and financial expertise required to earn a CPA, you can accurately analyze and understand a client’s financial position and propose optimal improvement measures.

The CPA is considered one of Japan’s three major national qualifications alongside medicine and law, and it is a highly difficult credential that typically requires years of study to obtain.

Successfully obtaining it becomes a strong point of differentiation when changing careers to medical consulting and is also valuable for career advancement.

MBA

MBA stands for “Master of Business Administration.” It is often misunderstood, but an MBA is not a qualification — it is an academic degree certifying completion of a graduate-level master’s program in business administration. Earning it requires one to two years of study at a university along with tuition fees in the range of millions of yen.

While it demands significant time and money, it provides practical knowledge applicable to the real-world duties of a medical consultant and supports career advancement.

Healthcare Management Consultant (Iryou Keiei Consultant)

The Healthcare Management Consultant credential is certified by the Japan Medical Business Management Consultant Association. Obtaining this credential demonstrates knowledge of healthcare management.

Earning this credential requires completing a course with a tuition fee of ¥50,000. After obtaining the credential, membership in the association and regular participation in association training sessions are also mandatory. Association registration fees total ¥80,000 for the initial registration, with annual membership dues of ¥120,000.

While obtaining and maintaining the credential involves significant costs, holders are listed by name on the association’s website, which enhances credibility with clients and can help attract projects.

IT-Certified Consultant (Jouhоuka Nintei Consultant)

The IT-Certified Consultant credential is only open to those who have already obtained the Healthcare Management Consultant credential. Earning it demonstrates knowledge and skills related to the development, implementation, and operation of healthcare IT systems.

Holding both the Healthcare Management Consultant and IT-Certified Consultant credentials demonstrates the knowledge and skills to provide end-to-end support — from healthcare management to IT system operations — expanding the scope of your activities as a medical consultant and supporting career advancement.

Healthcare Management Practitioner (Iryou Keiei Shi)

The Healthcare Management Practitioner credential is certified by the Japan Healthcare Management Practice Association. It demonstrates knowledge of healthcare management and the ability to resolve management challenges.

This credential has three levels (1st through 3rd), allowing holders to systematically build knowledge.

Examination fees are ¥50,000 for Level 1, ¥15,400 for Level 2, and ¥8,640 for Level 3 — lower examination costs compared to the Healthcare Management Consultant credential.

Both the Healthcare Management Practitioner and Healthcare Management Consultant credentials effectively demonstrate knowledge of healthcare management and problem-solving ability, but considering examination costs and ongoing training expenses, the Healthcare Management Practitioner credential is generally more accessible.

List of Healthcare Consulting Firms

Here are 15 of the main healthcare consulting firms and companies.

KPMG Healthcare Japan Co., Ltd.

KPMG Healthcare Japan Co., Ltd. is a consulting firm whose appeal lies in consulting that leverages KPMG’s expertise. It handles management improvement and M&A for healthcare facilities, nursing care providers, and healthcare-related companies, and also supports sales reform for healthcare-related companies.

The firm provides high-quality consulting through credentialed professionals such as CPAs and consultants with extensive track records.

CareMax Co., Ltd.

CareMax Co., Ltd. is a consulting firm with a track record of supporting more than 800 combined cases of practice launches, business successions, and management challenge resolution for healthcare facilities including hospitals and clinics, as well as nursing care providers.

To handle the wide variety of challenges facing healthcare facilities and nursing care providers, the firm has established a robust support structure through partnerships with tax accountants, attorneys, and other professionals.

Nomura Healthcare Support & Advisory Co., Ltd.

Nomura Healthcare Support & Advisory Co., Ltd. leverages the Nomura Group’s network and expertise to provide consulting centered on finance and real estate, covering management improvement, M&A, medical facility rebuilding, and land utilization.

The firm is also well-regarded for its business succession support, helping owners transfer their operations to family members or third-party successors.

CDI Medical Co., Ltd.

CDI Medical Co., Ltd. provides broad support to resolve healthcare facility management challenges, including management strategy formulation, organizational restructuring, HR reform, and operational efficiency improvements.

It is a healthcare-specialist consulting firm capable of handling large-scale projects, such as those involving hospitals with more than 1,000 beds and consulting for publicly listed companies.

NS Partners Co., Ltd.

NS Partners Co., Ltd. prioritizes dialogue with clients and proposes realistic management improvement plans to guide them toward success. Its scope of support is wide, covering practice launches, management improvement, debt restructuring, M&A, recruitment, staff development, and most other activities required to operate a healthcare facility.

Being a subsidiary of a company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section also adds to its credibility and stability.

MC Healthcare Co., Ltd.

MC Healthcare Co., Ltd. focuses its support primarily on the procurement, maintenance, management, and cost reduction of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, helping to free up physicians’ time for patient care.

While the company is headquartered in Tokyo, it has built a structure capable of serving healthcare organizations throughout Japan, leveraging an extensive track record to support healthcare facility management.

Medical Create Co., Ltd.

Medical Create Co., Ltd. is capable of providing consulting to both healthcare organizations and healthcare-related companies. Armed with the capacity to “scientifically approach hospital management” and strong “execution capability,” it drives results and innovation.

The company also offers educational training programs for both healthcare facilities and companies, supporting talent development across a wide range of healthcare-related roles.

Financial Design Co., Ltd.

Financial Design Co., Ltd. has particular strengths in consulting related to inheritance, asset building, and business succession within the healthcare management space. The firm is recognized for its client-centered approach and prompt responsiveness, and is also well regarded for its support of local community healthcare organizations.

In addition, the regular healthcare management seminars it hosts are highly evaluated.

Mediva Co., Ltd.

Mediva Co., Ltd. was founded by a McKinsey alumnus who drew on their experience to pursue patient-centered healthcare reform.

With a partner from McKinsey at its helm, the quality of its consulting is high, and it works to improve management and secure talent by incorporating know-how from other industries and sectors. The company provides support aimed at meeting a variety of needs and achieving sound management.

Paths Japan Co., Ltd.

Paths Japan Co., Ltd. primarily operates in the sale and rental of healthcare products such as card-operated television systems installed in healthcare facilities, in-hospital Wi-Fi services, IC cards, and mattresses.

In addition, it contributes to improving patient satisfaction at healthcare facilities through business process consulting for healthcare organizations, external storage of medical records, and staffing services.

Yukaria Co., Ltd.

Yukaria Co., Ltd. supports the digitalization of healthcare facilities and nursing care providers, placing emphasis not only on management but also on supporting frontline operations.

Founded in 2005, the company is relatively young, but has partnerships with more than 20 healthcare and nursing care organizations. Beyond digitalization, it offers a broad range of support including business plan development and real estate monetization.

ResMed Co., Ltd.

ResMed Co., Ltd. is distinguished by its wide breadth of support, covering practice launches, succession planning, business process improvement, physician and nurse placement, and M&A.

Its extensive track record has helped the firm build the know-how to provide comprehensive, end-to-end support tailored to resolving the specific challenges of each healthcare organization.

Medical Management Research Institute Co., Ltd.

Medical Management Research Institute Co., Ltd. provides management consulting to healthcare facilities, nursing care providers, and pharmacies in pursuit of community-based healthcare.

Its consulting approach — grounded in the belief that motivated staff lead to higher patient satisfaction — has earned high praise from its healthcare facility clients.

NPO Hospital Management Support Organization

The NPO Hospital Management Support Organization handles not only standard healthcare consulting services such as staff development and administrative capacity building, but also proposes solutions to management challenges common among rural healthcare facilities and supports nursing staff recruitment.

The organization is well regarded for its consulting that achieves both cost reduction and revenue growth simultaneously.

Sugimoto Corporation Co., Ltd.

Sugimoto Corporation Co., Ltd. operates across both healthcare and food service sectors, including pharmacy and restaurant operations. Drawing on its management expertise in these areas, it supports the launch and ongoing management of healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and nursing care businesses.

Its consulting centers on five pillars: management strategy, management diagnosis, management administration, individual management challenges, and nursing care business support.

Career Change Options for Medical Consultants

Because healthcare and general corporate management differ significantly, transitioning from medical consulting to a general consulting firm is said to be difficult.

That said, there are career change options where the experience and skills of a medical consultant can still be applied. Here are the main career paths available to medical consultants.

Other Consulting Firms

General consulting firms with a healthcare division and think tank-affiliated consulting firms represent one career path for medical consultants.

While it is often said that changing jobs becomes more difficult with age across fields, medical consultants may have an advantage in that those with sufficient experience and skills can be hired as immediately deployable, experienced professionals.

Healthcare Organizations and Operating Companies

Planning or administrative departments at healthcare organizations or operating companies represent another career path. Healthcare facilities often have few staff with deep management expertise, and companies entering the healthcare industry from outside frequently lack professionals who truly understand the sector.

The experience and skills of a medical consultant closely match the talent profiles that both types of organizations seek, and depending on your track record and experience, there is potential for a high-level career transition.

Independence and Entrepreneurship

Going independent or starting your own business is also an option. Medical consultants with a strong enough track record, experience, and skill set can thrive independently.

If you have built a solid professional network, securing projects should not be a major challenge. If you prefer to minimize time spent on business development, registering with a freelance consultant platform allows you to find projects that match your preferences with relatively little effort.

For example, “Free Consultant.jp,” operated by Mirai Works Co., Ltd., offers a service that connects consultants with projects suited to their preferences, skills, and experience.

How to Transition into Medical Consulting

Medical consulting is a profession that demands specialized knowledge.

Some medical consultants come from backgrounds as physicians, nurses, or CPAs, but it is also possible to transition into medical consulting without any of that hands-on experience.

Gaining Relevant Experience

One approach is to work in a healthcare industry role — such as a pharmaceutical MR (medical representative) or medical office administrator — and then pursue a career transition.

These roles can be entered without specific qualifications. Spending several years in such a position to build knowledge of the healthcare industry can make you a strong candidate for potential-based hiring.

If you are in your 20s to early 30s, healthcare industry experience is more likely to be recognized as a valuable asset.

Obtaining Relevant Qualifications

If you have no hands-on experience in the healthcare industry, consider obtaining the qualifications introduced in this article.

These credentials objectively demonstrate that you have the knowledge and skills needed for medical consulting, making them useful both as a differentiator during your job search and as a foundation for career advancement after joining.

Using a Recruitment Agency

Consider also working with a recruitment agency that specializes in consultants. In addition to job introductions, you can receive a range of support to help you transition into medical consulting, including interview preparation and review of application documents.

If you have relevant experience or qualifications that strengthen your application, working with an agency can increase your chances of a successful transition compared to searching on your own.

Summary

This article has covered the duties, salary, required skills, and recommended qualifications for medical consultants.

Compared to consultants in other fields, medical consulting is a highly specialized area. While it demands advanced, specialized knowledge and skills, the demand for medical consultants who are well-versed in both healthcare and management is expected to continue growing.

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