Academic programs last two years and are characterized by two to four months of clinical responsibility per year. They offer a formal teaching curriculum and provide dedicated training in research, health policy, or health economics.3 Research training varies from program to program. Most include basic biostatistics and research-method coursework at a minimum; others offer the option to pursue a graduate degree in clinical research or public health.
Academic programs also offer dedicated research mentorship.
Other Considerations
The value of an HM fellowship lies in career development. The decision to commit to a relatively low-paying fellowship can be a difficult one, especially given the debt burden most graduating residents bear and the abundance of high-paying HM jobs. It also is important for those interested in a career as an academic hospitalist to consider not only HM fellowships, but other programs as well, such as the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program (rwjcsp.unc.edu/about/index.html).
While all of the fellowship programs aren’t geared specifically toward the hospitalist, they often incorporate faculty with expertise that would benefit a future academic hospitalist. Of course, the best fit for an individual depends on their particular interests and needs.
Fellowship in HM can offer training in clinical skills, clinical research, teaching, and quality and patient safety. Anyone interested in an HM career should consider a fellowship an opportunity for career development in a young specialty entrenched in revolutionizing the care of hospitalized patients. Academic HM fellowships hold the promise of empowering tomorrow’s academic leaders with the tools to continue to move the field forward. TH
Dr. Mann is a fellow in the division of hospital medicine, Department of Medicine, at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Dr. Markoff is associate division chief and fellowship director in the division of hospital medicine, Department of Medicine, at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
References
- Wachter RM. Reflections: the hospitalist movement a decade later. J Hosp Med. 2006;1(4):248-252.
- Wachter RM. Keynote presentation. SHM national meeting. National Harbor, Md.: May 2010.
- Ranji SR, Rosenman DJ, Amin AN, Kripalani S. Hospital medicine fellowships: works in progress. Am J Med. 2006;119(1):72.e1-e7.
- Freed GL, Dunham KM, Research advisory committee of the American Board of Pediatrics. Characteristics of pediatric hospital medicine fellowships and training programs. J Hosp Med. 2009;4:157-163.
- Arora V, Fang MC, Kripalani S, Amin AN. Preparing for “diastole”: advanced training opportunities for academic hospitalists. J Hosp Med. 2006;1(6):368-377.