title: Pediatric hospitalists: training, current practice, and career goals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the range and frequency of experiences, clinical and nonclinical roles, training, work expectations, and career plans of practicing pediatric hospitalists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mail survey study of a national sample of 530 pediatric hospitalists of whom 67% (N = 338) were from teaching hospitals, 71% (N = 374) were from children's hospitals, 43% (N = 230) were from freestanding children's hospitals, and 69% (N = 354) were from hospitals with >or=250 beds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 84%. The majority (54%; N = 211) had been practicing as hospitalists for at least 3 years. Most reported that the pediatric inpatient unit (94%) and inpatient consultation service (51%) were a part of their regular clinical assignment. Most did not provide service in the normal newborn nursery (58%), subspecialty inpatient service (52%), transports (85%), outpatient clinics (66%), or as part of an emergency response team (53%). Many participated in quality improvement (QI) initiatives (84%) and practice guideline development (81%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides the most comprehensive information available regarding the clinical and nonclinical roles, training, work expectations, and career plans of pediatric hospitalists. However, the field is currently a moving target; there is significant flux in the hospitalist workforce and variation in the roles of these professionals in their clinical and nonclinical work environment.
authors.affiliation: Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0456, USA. gfreed@med.umich.edu
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Freed
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Dunham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002322:Career Mobility; D003625:Data Collection; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D020445:Hospitalists / Q000193:education*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States