Closer to a business analyst than PM. No HCD. Top down. Almost all buy/configure, little/no build.
Pros
Of note, this is applicable to PM positions at MedStar HQ in Columbia, MD. I can't speak to what the PM experience is like at other locations/teams. Gain healthcare industry/subject matter knowledge: A decent mid-level view into healthcare fragmentation challenges (mainly at the start of the user funnel, before care is delivered), departments/functions, politics/interests, technical challenges for innovation, and incentives/disincentives. But nothing you couldn't gain at slightly lower quality (but perhaps faster) from books/articles or from working as a consultant in the healthcare space. Gain knowledge of the ecosystem of health tech startups looking to partner/sell into healthcare systems: But mainly focused on the beginning of the funnel and mostly a high level view, you'll be pretty separated from the strategy. Develop/refine your marketing/selling skills; to a point.
Cons
From a PM specific perspective: A lack of individual product manager empowerment/ownership to measurably move the needle over a given product/feature, parts of a journey, outcomes, or organizational buy-in for what that those would require in terms of power-sharing, leadership, and execution from other departments/divisions. Opportunities/problems to be addressed and prioritization are almost all identified at the top (sometimes from outside the group), with no human centered design practices/processes to validate/refine them with internal and external stakeholders (including patients). More of a traditional business analyst role than a product management role. Which impacts roles/responsibilities, skills, processes, frameworks, etc. And there's a general lack of direct first hand experience or knowledge to understand those differences or teach/drive adoption of current state product management practices/frameworks/techniques. Focus on outputs not outcomes. You're directed to quickly work on the delivery of specific solutions (top down), but often the underlying opportunities/problems haven't been fully refined/vetted and the desired solutions often require process/operational changes/change management for which buy-in has not been secured before committing to solutions. There is little/no development in house so you're not building/enhancing anything internally you're usually configuring something to meet specs you were handed. If there's any customization (there usually is) then you're at the mercy of PMs at the vendor/partner to prioritize your needs. Those PMs/vendors are less likely to prioritize that work as it likely hasn't been vetted with day to day users, will require significant refinement from them, and see the next point below. Partner/vendor relationship management focuses on the short term not the long term; obtaining maximum value at the lowest cost. Less thought to defining achievable and measurable success criteria/metrics before committing to addressing an opportunity/problem or in selecting from among potential solutions. Little to no coaching or structured development. Observed patterns of behavior that can adversely impact performance, morale, psychological safety, and retention: Shouting, over-selling (rather than a focus on honest and transparent communication), cliques, shouting, and micromanagement.