medical doctors and students

[crown1]

i have done some googling and think i understand what a house officer is. i am curious why a doc, who has been in a practice for many years, would hold this position in a small non-teaching facility. maybe i don''t understand the position at all? any info is greatly appreaciated.

 

[LilyKat]

A house officer is the British term for a first-year doctor post-qualification (the equivalent of an US intern). It is not a position that can be held for more than a year.

A Senior House Officer (SHO) is usually the next 3-4 years. If a doctor does not (or does not wish to) progress with a training post to higher levels, they can remain in this position for many years (usually called a "Staff Grade" post, but they may be referred to as a Senior House Officer too).

Hope this clears things up!

 

[crown1]

thanks for the reply, i appreciate it. this is a us situation.

 

[neatfreak]

Do you mean a hospitalist? I have never heard of a house officer in the US...and abroad it's as Lilykat described...

 

[crown1]

i had never heard of it until yesterday. googling gives at least two definitions and numerous us hospital contracts for house officer. thank you for your kind reply.


eta: i am aware of the hospitalist position as the same hospital has a couple on staff.

 

[tiffanytwisted]

I work in a teaching facility and the term "house officer" is used. It typically means whoever is either in the hospital or on call to cover those patients.

 

[Munchkin]

Ditto what TiffanyTwisted said.

It''s been my experience that smaller, community hospitals frequently use house doctors. I suspect it is due to the lack of lowly

residents and the relatively new concept of a hospitalist.

At one local hospital where I worked, it was a local GP that rotated with other GPs to be on call for the entire hospital. There was often one house surgeon and one house medical on call. Each slept at the hospital for the night. In addition to dealing with any crisis that should arise, the role of a house doc (or NP or PA) is to be there (for example) to change an insulin order on a diabetic whose sugars have gone out of whack. Rather than trying to track down the patient''s primary care provider at 2am, a house doc will change the order. Patient starts vomiting? Add an order for nausea meds, etc.

The active role isn''t entirely dissimilar to that of a hospitalist, but a hospitalists entire practice is within a hospital. Hospitalists also plan inpatient orders/treatment while the house provider is really there for emergent coverage temporarily. I''ve noticed that house docs have gone a bit out of vogue with the advent of hospitalist as a speciality. Perhaps some places use "house" to refer to the hospitalist on duty?