Hospitalist
Job Description
Hospitalists are medical doctors (M.D.) who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of patients in the hospital.
They are the primary individual who oversees and handles all aspects of a patient's hospitalization, treatment, and recovery.
Responsibilities
Hospitalist have many responsibilities and functions. They are responsible with every aspect of bedside care while a patient is hospitalized.
Not only do you supervise all patient services and coordinate with other doctors, but you also must do the following:
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Ensure treatment plans are compatible with other professionals
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Maintain efficiency and accuracy
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Manage administrative tasks
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Diagnose illness
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Create comprehensive care plans
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Manage information and patient histories
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Coordinate with other doctors on treatment plans
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Manage follow ups
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Provide bedside care throughout a patient's hospital stay
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Manage consultations and communications with specialists
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Order labs
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Manage the discharge of patients
Skills
| Communication | Must be able to clearly explain test results and treatment path to patients. Must correspond with other members of the medical team to ensure the best care for the patient. |
| Monitoring | Monitoring/Assessing patient to make sure they are responding well to treatment and make improvements or take corrective action when necessary. |
| Critical Thinking | Must use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Detail Oriented | Must be able to pinpoint small details that could make or break patient diagnosis and evaluation. |
| Complex Problem Solving | Must be able to identify complex problems and develop and evaluate corrective options and implement solutions. |
| Empathy | Must be able to empathize with a patient's pain and difficulties. Need to make people feel comfortable and meet them at their emotional level to humanize themselves since they deal with people with medical needs. |
| Science | Must know all about the human body and interactions it has with it's environment. Must know chemicals and reactions. |
| Troubleshooting | Must be able to hypothesize and test theories to ensure that the proper diagnosis is found and the best treatment path is taken. |
| Patience | Must be able to put in long hours and have patience when it comes to trying to create comprehensive treatment plans. |
Working Conditions
Most hospitalists work in hospitals facilitating bedside care with patients. They work long hours and can be on-call, work weekends, holidays, and nights.
They are the main point of contact with patients and work with other medical professionals, so they must be able to coordinate with others and work with others constantly.
You can also work in private practices by contracting with the practice and providing the same functions you would in a hospital.
The job has a ton of stress that comes with it since you are a medical doctor and have to ensure proper patient care.
Salary Outlook
| Estimated Annual Salary | Average Hourly Wage | Positions Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| $209,925.00 | $100.93 | 347,000 |