Hospitalists in the Air Force

[Dr Fleischman]

For those who haven't seen my previous threads, I'm a 3rd year planning on applying for an EM residency in the AF. However, recently I've learned how great hospitalist sounds, and I think I'm going to use it as my "back up" speciality - so apply for EM, but then put IM in the next spots on my ranking.

I want to be a hospitalist more than an internist, but the hospitalist I'm working with right now told me the major way to get into the speciality is to do a IM residency then get hired as a hospitalist. Does anyone know if the AF has these positions?

Also - this is a silly question just because I'm sure I know the answer but I'd like to hear someone confirm it for me - if I do IM/hospitalist with the military, when I've completed my commitment to the AF can I do an EM "fellowship" and do civilian EM if I still feel that is what I need to do? Thanks for reading and I will appreciate all responses.

Jake

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[teacherman84]

For those who haven't seen my previous threads, I'm a 3rd year planning on applying for an EM residency in the AF. However, recently I've learned how great hospitalist sounds, and I think I'm going to use it as my "back up" speciality - so apply for EM, but then put IM in the next spots on my ranking.

I want to be a hospitalist more than an internist, but the hospitalist I'm working with right now told me the major way to get into the speciality is to do a IM residency then get hired as a hospitalist. Does anyone know if the AF has these positions?

Also - this is a silly question just because I'm sure I know the answer but I'd like to hear someone confirm it for me - if I do IM/hospitalist with the military, when I've completed my commitment to the AF can I do an EM "fellowship" and do civilian EM if I still feel that is what I need to do? Thanks for reading and I will appreciate all responses.

Jake

Yes, the AF has hospitalists...IM is the specialty, hospitalist is just a job withing the specialty (as I understand it.)

As for fellowships in EM, at least for FM they are few and disappearing. Only two states that i know of, FL and TX, even recognize a fellowship trained EM doc as board certified.
As I understand it, you can work in an emergency room as an IM or FM doc, but it tends to be the lower level care settings and not the trauma centers.

 

[IgD]

You might find yourself doing both inpatient and outpatient work simultaneously like my friend did!

 

[Gastrapathy]

Most hospitalists in the community are internists but there are some FPs as well. In milmed, you are a general internist and your ratio of inpt/outpt work is highly dependent on where you get stationed (more than your preference). Most people do some of both but more outpt than inpt.

 

[BOHICA-FIGMO]

Most hospitalists in the community are internists but there are some FPs as well. In milmed, you are a general internist and your ratio of inpt/outpt work is highly dependent on where you get stationed (more than your preference). Most people do some of both but more outpt than inpt.

Ditto. I don't know how the USAF could support a pure hopsitalist give the relatively small size of their facilities. In the Navy at least, pretty much ALL the IM specialists do some time as a general medicine ward attending (except the cards guys who run the CCU). I've had attendings who were board certified in : Nephro, endorcrine, rheum, GI, ID, and pulm/cc.

And, based on what I saw in the civilian world, I'm not sure the hospitalist life is all that great. Imagine a census of 25-35 people (most of whom you didn't admit) you have to round on and write notes on. It's like being a cross cover attending (i.e. not fun!).

 

[AFIM]

Don't count on the Air Force letting you be a hospitalist during your payback time. Some places have more inpatient than others, but I don't think there are pure hospitalist positions right now. Also, if you want to do emergency med as a career, do the EM residency. I'd decide on EM vs. IM first (i.e. long-term career goals). If it really is hospital medicine you want to do, doing an IM residency and then 4 years in the AF doing some inpatient, some outpatient, is not a horrible thing - lots of docs go into hospital med after they separate. And that's a really easy transition.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Don't count on the Air Force letting you be a hospitalist during your payback time. Some places have more inpatient than others, but I don't think there are pure hospitalist positions right now. Also, if you want to do emergency med as a career, do the EM residency. I'd decide on EM vs. IM first (i.e. long-term career goals). If it really is hospital medicine you want to do, doing an IM residency and then 4 years in the AF doing some inpatient, some outpatient, is not a horrible thing - lots of docs go into hospital med after they separate. And that's a really easy transition.

My IM buddies do 95% outpatient work at the MTF. They all moonlight as hospitalists. Agree that you probably couldn't spend all your time in the AF as a hospitalist. Simply not enough inpatients to support a service.