Family Medicine Hospitalists Three Years Out of Residency: Career Flexibility or a Threat to Office-Based Family Medicine?

The 2015 and 2016 Association of American Medicinal Colleges (AAMC) Medical School Graduation Questionnaire all Schools Summary Report indicated that 18.4 and 18.9% of graduates, respectively, were interested in hospitalist medicine.1,2 A report released in June 2016 by the AAMC analyzing characteristics of the growing primary care hospitalist workforce between the years 2012 and 2013 indicated that 17.2% of hospitalists identified as family medicine physicians.3 A majority of family medicine physicians use hospitalist services,4 and hospitalists have a significant educational role in family medicine resident training.5