Hospitalist vs Internist: Roles, Education, and Salary

Key Takeaways

• Hospitalists serve patients during their hospital stay and focus on acute, short-term conditions.
• Internists provide long-term, outpatient care and specialize in managing chronic illnesses and preventive health.
• While the education and training they need are comparable, the work environment, patient connections, and daily tasks differ.
• Choosing between becoming a hospitalist or internist depends on your preferred work setting, schedule, and interest in either short-term or long-term patient care.

Modern healthcare involves a variety of doctors, each playing a specific role in treating patients. Two roles that are often confused are hospitalists and internists—both specialize in adult medicine, but they work in different settings and handle different aspects of care.

When comparing hospitalists vs internists, it’s critical to understand the differences in their duties, education, and day-to-day tasks. While internists primarily operate in outpatient settings and concentrate on long-term health and chronic problems, hospitalists typically treat patients in hospitals with urgent or short-term requirements. Knowing these differences can help you make more informed decisions—whether you’re choosing a career or a doctor.

What Is a Hospitalist?

A physician who treats patients while they are in the hospital is known as a hospitalist. Hospitalists only treat patients who must remain in hospitals, as opposed to typical family doctors who work in clinics. They manage everything related to a patient’s care during their hospital stay, from the time they are admitted until they go home.

Hospitalists check on patients daily, order tests, give treatments, and ensure everything is going smoothly. They also talk with other doctors and specialists to make sure patients get the proper care.

What hospitalists do

• Take care of patients during their hospital stay
• Check on patients daily and track their progress
• Order tests and treatments
• Talk with patients and their families
• Work with other doctors and nurses
• Help plan when and how patients leave the hospital

Medical conditions that hospitalists often treat

• Pneumonia
• Heart failure
• Sepsis (severe infection)
• Stroke
• COPD (lung disease)
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Kidney problems
• Bleeding in the stomach or intestines
• Diabetes complications
• Recovery after surgery

What Is an Internist?

An internist is a doctor who specializes in adult healthcare, focusing on both the prevention and treatment of diseases. They typically provide outpatient care, meaning they see patients in clinics or medical offices rather than hospitals. Internists are often the primary doctors adults visit for routine check-ups, health screenings, and ongoing care.

Their goal is to help patients stay healthy over time by managing long-term conditions and preventing future illnesses. Internists also advise on lifestyle changes to support overall well-being and work closely with other specialists when needed.

Medical conditions internists often treat

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• Asthma
• Arthritis
• Heart disease
• Thyroid disorders
• Obesity
• Depression and anxiety
• Digestive issues like acid reflux or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Hospitalist vs Internist: Key Differences

Hospitalists and internists are doctors who care for adults and treat many of the same health problems. They undergo similar training in internal medicine and know how to handle complex medical issues.

However, there are some key differences between them, like where they work, how they care for patients, and what their daily routines look like. Knowing these differences can help you better understand each job and what makes them unique.

Let’s explore how hospitalists and internists differ in treatment goals, work environment, patient interaction, work schedules, and average salary.

Treatment goals

Hospitalists focus on short-term health problems that need quick treatment while a patient is in the hospital. Their main goal is to help the patient get better from an illness or injury so they can safely go home. This can include treating infections, handling sudden changes in a patient’s condition, or caring for them after surgery.

On the other hand, internists work with patients over a longer period of time. They help manage chronic health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Their goal is to keep patients as healthy as possible through regular check-ups, medications, healthy lifestyle advice, and preventive care to stop problems before they worsen.

Work environment

Hospitalists work only in hospitals, where they take care of patients who need urgent or serious medical attention. They spend their shifts in the hospital, responding to changes in a patient’s condition, working with other doctors, and making sure patients get the proper treatment while they are there.

In contrast, internists usually work in outpatient settings, such as clinics or private doctor’s offices. They see patients for regular check-ups, health problems, and ongoing care.

While internists may sometimes be called to help hospitalized patients, most of their work occurs in an office. In this setting, they focus on keeping patients healthy over time, managing chronic conditions, and preventing new health issues.

Patient interaction

Hospitalists usually only see patients for a short time while they are in the hospital. Their focus is treating urgent health issues and helping the patient get better so they can go home. Because of this, their interaction with patients is brief and mostly about addressing immediate medical needs.

On the other hand, internists develop long-term relationships with their patients. They often see the same patients for many years, getting to know their health history, lifestyle, and personal concerns.

This allows them to provide care that is more personalized and focused on long-term health. The ongoing relationship helps internists manage chronic conditions and offer advice on preventing new health problems

Work schedules

Hospitalists work in shifts, which can include nights, weekends, and holidays. Their hours can be long, often 12 hours or more, and they are available around the clock to care for patients in the hospital. They need to be ready to handle emergencies and changes in a patient’s condition at any time.

In comparison, internists usually have more regular hours, mainly working on weekdays. They see patients in clinics or private offices, so their schedules are more predictable, with fewer weekend or evening shifts. While internists might need to adjust their hours for emergencies or hospital visits, their work schedule is typically more consistent than that of hospitalists.

Average salary

According to recent data from Glassdoor, hospitalists in the U.S. earn an average salary of about $251,305 per year, with total pay reaching around $371,071 annually. In comparison, internists earn an average of $172,303 per year, with a total pay of around $257,690.

Several factors can affect these salaries, including location, experience, and the type of employer. For example, hospitalists working in big cities or at top hospitals may earn more because of higher demand and living costs. Internists in areas with a higher need for medical care may also earn more.

Experience matters too, as doctors with more years of practice typically make higher salaries. The type of employer can make a difference as well; hospital-based doctors might have different pay than those working in private practice or academic settings.

Training and Certification

The training and certification process for hospitalists and internists is very similar, as both are trained in internal medicine. After completing medical school, both types of doctors go through residency training in internal medicine. Once they finish their residency, hospitalists typically start working in hospitals, while internists usually work in outpatient settings.

Both need to get board certification to make sure they meet the required standards. In the following sections, we’ll look at the educational paths and board certifications for each role, showing how their training is alike and what qualifications they need to succeed.

Educational pathways

Becoming a hospitalist or an internist involves a similar educational path, starting with a bachelor’s degree, then attending medical school, and finally completing a residency. While the overall journey is the same, the focus during residency can vary. Here’s a look at the steps involved:

1. Undergraduate Degree – The first step is earning a bachelor’s degree, typically with a focus on pre-med courses like biology, chemistry, and physics.
2. Medical School – After completing the undergraduate degree, students attend medical school for four years, where they learn essential medical knowledge and clinical skills.
3. Residency – Both hospitalists and internists complete a residency in internal medicine after medical school. While their residency training is largely the same, hospitalists focus more on acute care in hospitals, dealing with immediate, short-term conditions.

Internists, on the other hand, focus more on long-term care and managing chronic conditions in outpatient settings.

The best residency focus for hospitalists includes more hospital-based training, especially in emergency and urgent care settings, while internists benefit from focusing on managing long-term health and chronic diseases.

For students pursuing these paths, the American University of Antigua (AUAMED) offers a strong medical program that prepares students for residency and future specialization in internal medicine, setting the foundation for hospitalist and internist careers.

Board certifications

Both hospitalists and internists must become board-certified in Internal Medicine after completing their residency. This certification shows that doctors have the knowledge and skills needed to provide good care for adults.

In addition to the standard Internal Medicine certification, hospitalists may choose to earn extra certifications, such as in Hospital Medicine, which focuses on treating patients in the hospital. This extra certification helps hospitalists specialize in caring for hospitalized patients with complex needs.

Internists can also choose to get additional certifications in specific areas like cardiology, gastroenterology, or endocrinology, depending on the type of care they want to focus on.

Which Career Is Best For You?

Choosing between a hospitalist or internist career depends on factors like work-life balance, where you want to work, and how you prefer to interact with patients.

If you like working in a busy hospital and handling short-term, urgent cases, being a hospitalist might be a good fit. Hospitalists often work long hours, including nights and weekends, and their patient interactions are usually short and focused on immediate care.

If you prefer building long-term relationships with patients and working in a regular office setting, being an internist could be a better choice. Internists usually have more predictable hours, with fewer nights and weekends, and focus on managing chronic conditions and preventing health problems.

Think about your personality and what interests you most. Hospitals enjoy fast-paced environments and solving urgent medical problems, while internists like long-term care, paying attention to details, and building lasting relationships with patients.

Consider what fits your career goals and lifestyle best to help you decide which path is right for you.

Conclusion

Hospitalists and internists have different roles in healthcare. Hospitalists focus on treating short-term, acute conditions in hospitals, while internists manage long-term care and chronic diseases in outpatient settings.

Choosing the right career depends on your work style, patient interaction preferences, and career goals. Whether you prefer the fast-paced hospital environment or the long-term relationships of outpatient care, it’s important to find a career path that fits you.

If you’re interested in becoming a hospitalist or internist, check out the programs at AUAMED to help you get started.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Is it better to see an internist or a hospitalist?

It depends on your needs. See an internist for long-term care and managing chronic conditions and a hospitalist if you’re admitted to the hospital for acute care.

What is the most common diagnosis for hospitalists and internists?

Hospitalists often treat acute conditions like pneumonia or heart failure, while internists commonly manage chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.