What Does A Hospitalist Do (including Their Typical Day at Work)

Stan T.Career, Overview

Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Hospitalists

Hospitalists provide inpatient care predominantly in settings such as medical wards, acute care units, intensive care units, rehabilitation centers, or emergency rooms. Manage and coordinate patient care throughout treatment.

Salary
$218850
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Doctoral degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match


What they do

Hospitalists provide inpatient care predominantly in settings such as medical wards, acute care units, intensive care units, rehabilitation centers, or emergency rooms. Manage and coordinate patient care throughout treatment.

  • Diagnose, treat, or provide continuous care to hospital inpatients.
  • Prescribe medications or treatment regimens to hospital inpatients.
  • Admit patients for hospital stays.
  • Order or interpret the results of tests such as laboratory tests and radiographs (x-rays).

Typical day

On a daily basis, Hospitalists diagnose, treat, or provide continuous care to hospital inpatients. They refer patients to medical specialists, social services, or other professionals as appropriate.

A typical day for a Hospitalist will also include:

  • Admit patients for hospital stays.
  • Prescribe medications or treatment regimens to hospital inpatients.
  • Order or interpret the results of tests such as laboratory tests and radiographs (x-rays).
  • Attend inpatient consultations in areas of specialty.
  • Communicate with patients’ primary care physicians upon admission, when treatment plans change, or at discharge to maintain continuity and quality of care.

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Hospitalists also attend inpatient consultations in areas of specialty. They may also participate in continuing education activities to maintain or enhance knowledge and skills.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Hospitalists train or supervise medical students, residents, or other health professionals. They might also communicate with patients’ primary care physicians upon admission when treatment plans change, or at discharge to maintain continuity and quality of care.

In addition, they direct the operations of short stays or specialty units.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them direct, coordinate, or supervise the patient care activities of nursing or support staff.

To some Hospitalists, it is also their responsibility to admit patients for hospital stays.

What is the job like

Job satisfaction

Very High

Is this job meaningful

Very High

74% said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they found their job meaningful.


Dr. Nwegbo-Banks
Serenity Women's Health & Med Spa

What is it like being an Obgyn Hospitalist?

There are various types of shifts when working as an obgyn hospitalist. The most common shifts are 12-24 hours in duration. The number of shifts worked per month to be considered full time range from 5-8 hours a month (24 hour shifts) and up to 16 shifts per month (12 hours shifts). What I appreciated as a hospitalist is that once I handed over the pager, my patients continued to get physician-led care (by other hospitalist colleagues), but I was off work. It gave a solid work/life balance in the sense that you didn’t get called in and interrupted from your life. While off, I had the chance to catch up on sleep, spend time with family, travel, exercise, read leisurely, and develop hobbies.

The typical day involves rounding on patients on labor and delivery, post-partum, and any consults on other floors. My program was academic so I taught resident physicians, which I found enjoyable. My specific hospitalist program also covered gynecologic patients. So, I would manage any gynecological emergencies (ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, etc.) that came through the emergency room. I would then deliver any babies via cesarean or vaginal delivery that need to be delivered on my shift. Triaging pregnant patients who came through the obstetric emergency room was also a large part of my day. The work is unpredictable and I found that exciting.

Pros

You perfect skills in obstetric and gynecologic emergency management, competitive pay, opportunity to teach residents (if working at an academic institution), solid work/life balance, can build solid relationships with hospital staff since you are present

Cons

Typically, you must stay in the hospital during your shift, so you’re unable to leave and move around while working, unable to follow up with patients to see how they do long-term, and you may lose skills in frequently performed gynecologic procedures due to the nature of hospitalist work (hysteroscopy, hysterectomy, colposcopy).

Also, hospitalist is a term to describe a physician whose primary focus is to manage hospitalized patients. Hospitalist also implies an internal medicine specialty.

Obgyn hospitalists specifically manage obstetric and gynecologic patients that are hospitalized.


Pros

Suitable for people who like to help and teach others.

Suitable for people who value achievements and are results-oriented.

This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.

Demand for this career is growing very fast.

Cons

Not suitable for people who like to work with designs.

It is very hard to get into this career. Extensive skills, knowledge, and experience are required for this career.

Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week).

How much do they make

Average salary

$218850 per year

Average hourly wage

$105 per hour

Entry-level Hospitalists with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $61,380 to $126,470 per year or $30 to $61 per hour.

Salary by experience Annual Hourly
Highest (Top 10%) $208,000+ $100+
Senior (Top 25%) $208,000+ $100+
Median $208,000+ $100+
Junior (Bottom 25%) $126,470 $61
No experience (Bottom 10%) $61,380 $30

What is the work day like

Working hours

Less than 40 hours
0%

40 hours
4%

More than 40 hours
96%

Working schedule

72%

24%

4%

Email

How often do you use email in this job?

Once a week
20%

Every day
72%

Telephone

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Once a week
12%

Every day
88%

Group discussions

How often do you have group discussions in this job?

Once a week
0%

Every day
100%

Public speaking

How often does this job require you to do public speaking?

Never
24%

Once a year
44%

Once a month
20%

Once a week
4%

Every day
8%

Level of competition

How much competitive pressure is in this job?

Not competitive at all
8%

Slightly competitive
8%

Moderately competitive
13%

Highly competitive
38%

Extremely competitive
33%

What is the work environment like

Office-style environment

Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition

Never
12%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
88%

Warehouse-style environment

Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse

Never
96%

Once a year or more
4%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

Outdoors

Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions

Never
100%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

Outdoors – Under Cover

Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)

Never
100%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

How to become one

Difficulty to become one

Very Hard
You will need an extensive amount of skill, knowledge, and experience. Careers in this difficulty category usually require graduate school and more than five years of experience. These careers usually involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Similar careers include Pharmacists, Lawyers, Astronomers, Neurologists, and Veterinarians.

Required level of education

What level of education do you need to perform the job?

Less than a High School Diploma
0%

High School Diploma or equivalent
0%

Post-Secondary Certificate
0%

Some College Courses
0%

Associate’s Degree or similar
0%

Bachelor’s Degree
0%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
0%

Master’s Degree
0%

Post-Master’s Certificate
0%

First Professional Degree
8%

Doctoral Degree
32%

Post-Doctoral Training
60%

Relevant majors

No majors found

Relevant work experience

How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?

None
20%

1 month
0%

1 to 3 months
0%

3 to 6 months
4%

6 months to 1 year
4%

1 to 2 years
4%

2 to 4 years
60%

4 to 6 years
4%

6 to 8 years
0%

8 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
4%

On The Job Training

How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?

None or short demonstration
28%

1 month
44%

1 to 3 months
4%

3 to 6 months
4%

6 months to 1 year
4%

1 to 2 years
0%

2 to 4 years
16%

4 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
0%

Should you become one

Best personality type for this career

The Helper

People with this personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.

The Builder
52%

People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


The Thinker
71%

People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.


The Artist
24%

People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.


The Helper
90%

People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.


The Leader
43%

People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.


The Organizer
33%

People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.


You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tend to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.

They also like working with ideas and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.

Work Values

Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?

Achievement
90%

You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.

Working Conditions
76%

You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.

Recognition
86%

You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.

Relationships
76%

You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support
81%

You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.

Independence
81%

You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.

FAQ


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