Employers

There are at least 44,000 practicing hospitalists in the United States, according to the Society of Hospital Medicine. They are employed by hospitals and other health care facilities. Jobs are located throughout the country.

Starting Out

Start your job search before completing medical school. Be flexible about relocating to find employment opportunities. Experience gained working in a high-demand area can be used to find future employment in a bigger or more prestigious hospital. Contact hospitals directly to learn about job openings. Additionally, the SHM offers job listings at its Web site, https://www.shmcareercenter.org.

Advancement prospects are good for hospitalists. There are a number of paths hospitalists may take in advancing their career depending on their personal aspirations. Many hospitalists obtain experience and move on to positions at larger or more prestigious facilities. This results in increased responsibilities and earnings. Others move into supervisory positions. Some even become medical directors. Many hospitalists today decide that they are interested in the field of research and take that career path. Others move into academia and teach aspiring doctors.

Read the Journal of Hospital Medicine (https://www.journalofhospitalmedicine.com/jhospmed) and The Hospitalist (https://www.the-hospitalist.org/hospitalist) to learn more about the field. 

If you are fluent in a second language, remember to note it on your curriculum vitae. While generally not required, it may give you an edge over other candidates with similar qualifications.

Be willing to relocate for a job. Hospitals and other facilities in rural and low-income areas often have difficulty attracting physicians.