“I don’t understand how big the organization that Carson led at John Hopkins is.”
I can’t answer that specifically, but Carson was a primary participant in massive Johns Hopkins programs, not just relating to his specific discipline. My BIL, in healthcare, sat in meetings with him and was extremely impressed with him. This was before Carson’s name was discussed re politics, and before BIL had heard of his world-famous accomplishments in neurosurgery. He was just an important executive in meetings helping to make big decisions.
He’s obviously a smart man. But the question is does he have much management experience outside of his private practice?
In a normal business a “Director” is usually somewhere in authority between VP’s and managers.
In medical firms, there are “Medical Directors” that audit charts and make sure appropriate plans of care were developed and administered. But these are more advisory rolls. They usually don’t have staff and they don’t have direct authority over anyone.
I don’t know what “Director of pediatric neuorsurgery” really means. And I keep hoping someone in the know will say. But I doubt it gave him the kind of experience he needs to be an effective President.