Q: What advice would you give a student who is considering going that route?
A: You have to be a good communicator, you have to enjoy taking care of very sick people, and you have to enjoy solving very complex problems. You can’t just do it for the lifestyle. If you do, you won’t be happy in the long run. If I ask a medical student or resident why they want to be a hospitalist and they say, “I like the one-week-on, one-week-off schedule,” I tell them, “If that’s the reason you’re considering it, you really should reconsider.” TH
Mark Leiser is a freelance writer in New Jersey.