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Hospitalist jobs have recently hit the hospital job market due to the rising cost of medical care. The high cost of medical care coupled with the high demands of a growing, aging population has resulted in many changes in the medical field. The hospitalist has become a burgeoning career option for those originally seeking a career path as a Medical Doctor.
Around ten years ago, hospitalist began filling in for a patient's physician. They are becoming a popular choice with many hospitals today. Medical doctors have experienced salary reductions as the result of the implementation of managed care within the health care systems such as HMOs. As a result of the reduced salaries, doctors have in turn reduced their hours and have limited their on-call hours and responsibilities.
To fill in the need for patient care, many hospitals are now turning to the hospitalist. Medical doctors and staff now utilize a hospitalist to care for their patients. They are in high demand especially during emergency rooms patient care or when a physician's patient has been admitted to the hospital and the MD is not available. It is their job to communicate with the patient's primary care physician on all aspects of the patient's care while they are in the hospital.
The great advantage here is that the Hospitalists is oftentimes more familiar with the hospital, staff and its mode of operations. The hospital is the primary station for their particular practice and they know the routine and the patients involved.
Being on-site at a hospital allows the hospitalist to form relationships with their patients. This is not always the case with the hospital's MDs. The MDs will go on round sometimes not even knowing the names of the various patients.
It takes a lot of testing and education to acquire the necessary credentials to become a hospitalist. Those interested in becoming this kind of medical professional must first complete medical school. Upon obtaining a medical license, they will choose to specialize in one area. They usually choose among specializing in general internal medicine, family or peds.
There are many different career options for a hospitalist. They can either reside at a particular hospital as an add on for a particular medical practice. In this case, they work all of the patients that come out of a certain private medical practice. Or they can operate independently and work with several different private practices. In either situation, they will always be in high demand. Medical doctors are always looking for the extra work.
Hospitalist jobs are becoming plentiful. The salary is very good and the hours are reasonable. This position is most visible in the emergency room, where patients first come in contact with a hospitalist. They are also mostly found during a patients hospital stay. It is a very important position as they are stepping in for the patient's medical doctor. Patients can help in the process by communicating any particular medications or treatments they are currently under. Or any special dietary needs. The hospitalist will also see to it that the patients receives any necessary extended care by a nurse or therapist.
