Definitions of Attending, Fellow, Resident

[SeniorPZ]

Just thought I'd look these up if anybody else is wondering. :)

Interns
After completing medical school, the doctor completes their first year of post-medical school training. This year is referred to as the intern year. The intern does not have the right to practice unsupervised medicine and must practice within the confines of the training program in which they are enrolled.

Residents
Residency follows the intern year. At this point, when the internship year has been completed and a third level exam has been passed, the physician may practice as a general practitioner. While practicing independently is possible, the vast majority of physicians choose to pursue a residency for further training.

Fellows
A fellow is a physician who has completed their residency and elects to complete further training in a specialty. The fellow is a fully credentialed physician who chooses to pursue additional training, the fellowship is optional and is not required to practice medicine, but is necessary for training in a subspecialty.


Attendings
An attending physician has completed their training and is practicing independently in their chosen specialty. This term is typically used at teaching facilities to differentiate fully credentialed senior-level physicians from junior physicians who are still completing their higher education. In the hierarchy of physicians, the attending is at the top under only the physicians who run the hospital itself, while the medical student is at the bottom.

Attendings may also be known as staff physicians or a rendering doctor and may be trained as an MD or a DO.

[Gepharticus]

It has always bothered me that Fellow is listed as senior to an Attending. Technically, General Med Attendings CAN be below a Fellow of a sub-specialty, but that is splitting hairs.

[Limskj]

In Singapore (where I am from), we use Houseman, Medical Officer, Registrar, Consultant, Senior Consultant (in that order or seniority).

[SeniorPZ]

Originally posted by i_r_jordan:

In Singapore (where I am from), we use Houseman, Medical Officer, Registrar, Consultant, Senior Consultant (in that order or seniority).

Wow, thats interesting how different places define certain things differently.