Hospitalist

Your Fit

Income

$299K

Preparation

Extensive

Growth

3.0%

Definition
Your fit with this career
How much they earn
What they do
Job satisfaction
How to become

What is a Hospitalist?

A Hospitalist is a medical doctor who specializes in the care of hospitalized patients. They focus on providing comprehensive care from admission to discharge, coordinating with various specialists and managing patients' overall treatment plans within the hospital setting.

Sample job titles:

Hospitalist, Hospitalist Medical Doctor (Hospitalist MD), MD (Medical Doctor), Physician

Your test results

Why this fit score?

The fit report shows your areas of fit and misfit with Hospitalist.

Fit report

Test scores

The scores report summarizes what we learned about you. It shows your results on everything measured in the career test.

Scores report

How much does a Hospitalist earn

Income data is from Employment and Social Development Canada's 2024 wage tables. The closest match for this career in Canada’s occupational classification system is Hospitalist.

Bottom 10%	Bottom 25%	Median (average)	Top 25%	Top 10%
$121K per year	NA per year	$299K per year	NA per year	$613K per year

Compared to other careers: Median is $234K above the national average.

See income by country/state/province

What does a Hospitalist do?

Work environment

Hospitalists work exclusively in hospital settings, including general medical wards, intensive care units, and emergency departments. Their work environment is fast-paced and can involve long hours, including night shifts and on-call duties. They often collaborate with a wide range of healthcare professionals, including nurses, specialists, and administrative staff.

Quick task list

Manages the care of hospitalized patients, including diagnosis, treatment, and coordination of services.
Communicates with patients and their families about the plan of care and progress.
Collaborates with other healthcare providers to ensure comprehensive patient care.
Monitors and responds to changes in patients' conditions.
Participates in hospital committees and contributes to quality improvement initiatives.

See full list of tasks with expert relevance ratings

Areas of specialization

General Hospital Medicine: Providing care for a broad range of illnesses and medical conditions.
Critical Care Medicine: Specializing in the care of patients in the intensive care unit.
Geriatric Hospital Medicine: Focusing on the care of elderly patients.
Pediatric Hospital Medicine: Specializing in hospital care for children and adolescents.
Palliative Care: Providing care focused on relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness.

Description

Hospitalists play a critical role in the healthcare system, ensuring that patients receive high-quality care during their hospital stay. They are responsible for managing all aspects of a patient's hospital care, from admission to discharge. This includes diagnosing and treating medical conditions, ordering and interpreting tests, and coordinating with other medical professionals to provide comprehensive care.

The field of hospital medicine requires a broad knowledge base, as hospitalists must be prepared to deal with a wide variety of medical conditions. They must also possess excellent communication skills to effectively coordinate care and communicate with patients, families, and other healthcare providers. Hospitalists need to be adept at making quick, informed decisions, often in high-pressure situations.

Hospitalists typically work for hospitals or hospitalist groups and may have schedules that include irregular hours. Despite the demanding nature of the work, many hospitalists find satisfaction in the dynamic and impactful nature of their role, the diversity of patients they treat, and the opportunity to significantly improve patient outcomes.

Job Satisfaction

Sources of satisfaction

Directly impacting patient care and outcomes.
Variety and complexity of medical cases.
Collaborative work environment with other healthcare professionals.
Opportunities for leadership and involvement in hospital administration.

You might make a good Hospitalist if you are...

Interested in a dynamic and challenging medical field.
Skilled in problem-solving and decision-making.
Able to communicate effectively with patients and healthcare teams.
Adaptable and able to handle a fast-paced work environment.
Committed to continuous learning and keeping up-to-date with medical advancements.

Pros:

High demand and job security in the healthcare industry.
Diverse and intellectually stimulating work.
Opportunities for leadership and teaching roles.

Cons:

Long and irregular hours, including nights and weekends.
High-stress environment with significant responsibilities.
Limited continuity with patients, as care is confined to the hospital setting.

How to become a Hospitalist

Typical education

Becoming a hospitalist typically requires a 4-year undergraduate degree, 4 years of medical school, and 3-7 years of residency training, usually in internal medicine or family medicine. Some hospitalists may also complete fellowship training in a related subspecialty.

High school preparation

Courses:

Biology, Chemistry, and Physics to build a strong foundation in science.
Mathematics, particularly statistics, to develop analytical skills.
Health education to gain basic understanding of healthcare and medicine.

Extra-Curricular Activities:

Volunteering at hospitals or healthcare facilities.
Joining health science or medicine-related clubs.
Participating in science fairs or research projects.

Preparation after high school

Earn a bachelor's degree, preferably with a pre-medical focus.
Attend medical school to obtain an MD or DO degree.
Complete residency training in internal medicine, family medicine, or another relevant field.
Consider pursuing a fellowship in a hospital medicine subspecialty.
Obtain board certification and state medical licensure.

More resources

Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) - Offers resources and information for hospitalists.
American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) - Provides board certification in internal medicine and its subspecialties.
Journal of Hospital Medicine - Publishes research and developments in hospital medicine.
American College of Physicians (ACP) - Professional organization offering resources for internists.
The Hospitalist - An online publication covering the latest news and trends in hospital medicine.

Similar careers

Similarity is based on what people in the careers do, what they know, and what they are called. The process of establishing similarity lists is described in this white paper.