“That’s not that much of a difference,” Dr. Chacko says. “Early-career hospitalists find ample leadership opportunities in the specialty. There are lots of opportunities for young hospitalists.”
How to Get Started
Because most teaching hospitals have hospitalists, most residents are exposed to HM. Many hospitalists relish the opportunity to mentor and provide early-career counseling. “Sometimes, a resident will ask to grab coffee and learn more about hospital medicine,” Dr. Huang says. “I tell them what my job is like. Many ask, ‘How do I get started looking for a job?’ I tell them that connections really help. Word of mouth is very important, so I refer people to other people.”
Margaret Fang, MD, MPH, FHM, assistant professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco’s division of hospital medicine and a founding member of the Young Physicians Committee, recommends that residents begin with a vision and work backward. “On a broad level, if you’re a resident, you should think about where you want to be in five years,” she says. “Look around your hospital and find a few people whose job you want.”
For some young physicians, looking ahead five years could mean being part of the healthcare revolution of tomorrow. TH
Brendon Shank is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia.
Longtime leader takes SHM helm
New SHM President Scott A. Flanders, MD, FHM, has been part of HM since the beginning. Now, he’s leading the movement.
“Scott has been a major force in shaping the hospital medicine specialty into what it is today,” says Larry Wellikson, MD, FHM, CEO of SHM. “It’s only fitting that he guide our organization and its members through this time of explosive growth and unprecedented change within the healthcare sector.”
Dr. Flanders is recognized as a leader in HM’s academic community. He is professor and director of the hospitalist program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. His HM resume includes dozens of peer-reviewed research articles and presentations. He has devoted countless hours of his time to SHM as a board member, committee member, editor, and leadership track faculty. “He has already been a positive influence on hundreds of practicing hospitalists in the last decade,” Dr. Wellikson says. “We look forward to helping him expand that influence as president.”
Scott A. Flanders, MD, FHM
- SHM member since 1996
- Associate professor of medicine on the clinical track, University of Michigan
- Associate division chief of general medicine for inpatient programs
- Director of the hospitalist program at the University of Michigan
- Associate director of inpatient programs, Department of Medicine, University of Michigan
- Attending physician, University of Michigan Hospitals
- Member, SHM Board of Directors
- Faculty, SHM 2006 Leadership Academy
- Deputy editor, Journal of Hospital Medicine
- Former editor, The Hospitalist
SHM elects board members
SHM has elected three new members to its Board of Directors and re-elected two members. Board members are nominated and elected by the membership and serve a three-year term.The newly elected members of the board are:
Eric Howell, MD, FHM, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of the hospitalist division and hospital care at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. Dr. Howell is a member of the Leadership Academy faculty and received the 2009 Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Burke Kealey, MD, FHM, assistant medical director of Health Partners Medical Group in Minneapolis and adjunct assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Kealey has been an active member of SHM for more than 10 years and earned the society’s 2003 Award for Clinical Excellence.