Dr. Steinkeler’s group is primarily salary-based, so she isn’t tied to productivity. While the salaries may not always be as high as other hospitalist options, there are trade-offs. “I know that the starting salaries for hospitalists in private practices in Portland were a little higher than for HMOs,” says Dr. Steinkeler. “The financial payoff for working here is really when you stay long enough be vested; it’s in the benefits. But we tried to rectify that [starting salary discrepancy] because we were having trouble hiring.”
Size May Matter Most
Keep in mind that hospital medicine programs can vary widely, for both academic and community-based institutions. “Program differences are based on the size of the program,” explains Dr. Panwala. “In tertiary care centers, you won’t do much ICU work, but in a small or medium-sized hospital it’s very different. You can basically be the ICU doc.”
The plus side of working for a larger hospital medicine group is flexibility and opportunity for career growth. Dr. Steinkeler highlights another benefit: “One good thing about working in a large group … is the flexibility,” she says. “A large group has the ability to flex around people’s needs, so you can cut your hours or get time off if you have kids or aging parents.”
This basic information on the various employment options within hospital medicine should give you a good starting point in choosing the career path you’d like to take. Your decision, or preliminary preference, will influence how you prepare for, and go after, your first position as a working hospitalist. TH