The Future of Hospital Medicine
Wachter was recently elected to the American Board of Internal Medicine, the only new member and the sole hospitalist to earn this honor. In this role, he will have the opportunity to provide input that will influence the development and expansion of the hospital medicine movement. “The Board is interested in the growth of the hospitalist field and what it means for the future,” he says. “They would like to know how to support the field and how best to attract students to it.” Many members of the Board who were skeptical at first about the hospitalist field have now recognized that “hospitalists have brought back the excitement of being an internist.” Wachter believes that students exposed to hospitalists soon realize that these doctors have fulfilling, diverse careers. “Hospitalists interact with patients, act as leaders to make patient care better, increase quality, and write guidelines,” he says. “This is a rich job description.” At the UCSF Medical Center, students involved in various clerkships have the opportunity to work under the tutelage of hospitalists. These collaborative relationships bring greater understanding of the work a hospitalist does and promotes the future of the field, according to Wachter.
Specialized Certification
As each new specialty evolves, different requirements for certification arise. Since hospital medicine is still a fairly young field, educational and training qualifications have yet to be determined. In his role on the American Board of Internal Medicine, Wachter will probably contribute to the discussion on what certification can and should look like. “This is an area of active investigation,” he says. “Will there be a separate certification for hospitalists? Should it be given at initial certification or when a physician recertifies after having been a practicing hospitalist with demonstrated competency? Right now there is no widespread model for hospitalist training at the residency level,” says Wachter. “I would not be surprised if in 10 or 15 years specialized training evolves for hospitalists. If so, then it would be logical that there be some type of separate certification. It’ll be fascinating working with the Board and SHM to determine the best course in the meantime.”