To try to prevent burnout among their physicians, Sloan-Kettering’s program consists of seven daytime hospitalists who work a typical 2-week on/2-week off schedule. The other 10 hospitalists are dedicated nocturnalists. The model has resulted in virtually no turnover among the daytime hospitalists. The nocturnal group has high turnover, which is typical of most night-shift work. At this point, there’s no definitive count of the number of oncology hospitalists working in the United States today. But what is clear, is that the small niche is growing.
Dr. A. Charlotta Weaver
Dr. A. Charlotta Weaver, medical director of oncology hospitalists at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, epitomizes the appeal for some young physicians.
Dr. Weaver graduated from residency in 2008, a year after Northwestern launched its oncology-hospitalist program. She had been considering a fellowship in hematology/oncology when she heard about the new program. "This little light went off in my head that that’s what I wanted to do," she said.
Initially, she thought about working as an oncology hospitalist for a few years as a bridge to fellowship, but ultimately decided to stay on with the program. The appeals, she said, was a combination of the hospitalist schedule and taking care of hematology/oncology patients.
"I think of it as real medicine. They are really sick," Dr. Weaver said. "There is something legitimately wrong with them and I can help; whereas in general medicine, you don’t always have that sense."
mschneider@frontlinemedcom.com
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