Why hospital culture influences medical costs

“You have to be affable, available, and able,” a senior general internal medicine physician taught me during my final year of residency. “Trust me,” he added, “when you’re in practice, you will love easy consults.”

A consult – short for “inpatient consultation” – occurs when physician caring for a hospitalized patient requests another physician to evaluate the patient and provide recommendations.  Typically, both physicians are paid – one for providing overall …

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