Here are a few major reasons outlined in the report that help explain the draw of hospital medicine to young physicians:
• An attractive salary. Depending on the region, a starting hospitalist can bring in about $200,000 per year. A starting internist in an office setting will make roughly $150,000, according to the report.
• Balanced schedules. Many hospitalist groups work on a seven-on/seven-off basis. They earn their salary by working seven days straight and then having seven days off — a schedule appreciated by many parents.
• No on-call or after-hour responsibilities. Since hospitalists work in shifts, the physician is done with work once they step outside. Office-based internists still carry pagers and may get phone calls in the middle of the night.
• Familiarity. Since medical students spend a significant portion of time on hospital-based rotations, the setting may be most comfortable for new or young physicians who adapted to hospitals during training.
Despite these benefits, the choice to practice hospital medicine is a component of the primary care physician shortage. Given the increase in insured Americans under healthcare reform, the country may see longer wait times and reduced access to PCPs. Massachusetts enacted a similar healthcare reform law in 2006 — mandating everyone obtain insurance — and the average wait time for a new patient to be seen by an internist is 48 days.
More Articles on the Physician Workforce:
8 Points Hospitals Need to Keep in Mind When Paying Employed Physicians
Primary Care Workforce Stats: Uneven Geographic Distribution Persists
Physician Employment Up by 32% at Hospitals Over Past Decade
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