Hospitalist Sub-I or wards month? Some help please!

[Somedaydoc]

Hey guys,

So my school gives us the option of doing a month with a hospitalist or doing a month on the wards. Just wanted to ask what do you guys think a month with a hospitalist would entail (the secretary doesn't have info). Pros and cons of each/ any insight? Thanks so much!

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[gutonc]

Hey guys,

So my school gives us the option of doing a month with a hospitalist or doing a month on the wards. Just wanted to ask what do you guys think a month with a hospitalist would entail (the secretary doesn't have info). Pros and cons of each/ any insight? Thanks so much!

It's not really clear to me what the difference would be other than rounding with 1 attending vs rounding with an intern (or 4), a resident and an attending.

Are the attendings on the "wards" hospitalists or specialists?

Is it in the same hospital?

If so, how do cases get split between the resident and hospitalist services (is it every other admit or do the residents get the "good teaching cases" while the hospitalists get the "pop drops" and placement/insurance issues)?

Most importantly (and I can't stress this enough), what do this year's MS4s say about this? I wouldn't expect the secretary to know the answer, but you can't be the first person in your school to have to make this decision. Ask those who have.

 

[heyjack70]

If this is a 3rd year rotation, go for the wards. Better teaching from interns/resident is more likely. If it's a 4th year rotation, I could see benefits from both.

A 4th year should have a reasonable knowledge base and the hospitalist attending will hopefully be able to provide some practical knowledge on top of the base. Caveat: If the hospitalist is busy and your are shadowing this would be terrible. The sub-I experience will probably be better at preparing you for internship. If it were me, I would do the sub-I, and add the hospitalist rotation on if I had room in my schedule/wanted to.

 

[HigHal320]

If this is a 3rd year rotation, go for the wards. Better teaching from interns/resident is more likely. If it's a 4th year rotation, I could see benefits from both.

A 4th year should have a reasonable knowledge base and the hospitalist attending will hopefully be able to provide some practical knowledge on top of the base. Caveat: If the hospitalist is busy and your are shadowing this would be terrible. The sub-I experience will probably be better at preparing you for internship. If it were me, I would do the sub-I, and add the hospitalist rotation on if I had room in my schedule/wanted to.

I second what heyjack said. My spouse did a hospitalist rotation during 3rd yr (I did ward) and it entailed a lot of shadowing. She received some teaching but not as much b/c the hospitalist attending needed to be very efficient with their work of admit/discharge.

On most rotations/electives, you'll learn more from your interns/residents/fellows than the attendings b/c you spent the most time with the residents.