Is becoming a hospitalist right for me?
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How to become a Hospitalist
The pathway towards practicing hospital medicine begins in the same way as it does for any medical specialty.
Steps to becoming a hospitalist are as follows:
- Complete an undergraduate degree (four years)
- Complete medical school (four years)
- Complete a residency (three years)
- Become state-licensed
- Become board-certified (optional)
As hospitalists gain experience, they sometimes choose to take on administrative roles such as safety officer, directors of quality, or chief medical officers. Some will choose to leave clinical practice to become hospital executives and administrators. Teaching is another option, supervising residents and fellows in the clinical setting, or taking on professorships and research positions at medical schools.