Medical Malpractice

Do doctors actually work for hospitals or do they use hospitals as a location for their surgeries?

I'm pursuing a medical career, and I've always wondered who it all worked. Do doctors a practice with a few other doctors with their own operating rooms? Or do doctors actually work for hospitals after residency and have an office there? I mean for anyone who isn't an ER doctor because that's self-explanatory.

Public Comments

1. There is a lot of variety. My understanding is based on Canadian examples (I live in Ontario). Most doctors have a private office, where they, usually in concert with several other doctors, practice. There will be examining rooms, and patient records kept. These doctors will usually have visiting privileges at a hospital (or possibly more than one, in some places). There, they can perform surgeries, and/or visit their own patients. Some doctors may be employed by the hospitals directly (your ER example), but even then, many will have a private practice as well. Some specialists might perform certain specific procedures at their offices, but these will be fairly limited. Major things are typically done at a hospital.
2. A resident or tenured physician works for the hospital. A physician with merely hospital "privileges" tends to only use the hospital when performing a medical procedure that cannot be performed at his/her private practice office.
3. There are several ways docs have relationships with hospitals: 1. direct employee (such as hospitalists etc), 2. "privileges" means they can admit to that hospital, use the OR if a surgeon, etc 3. be an independent contractor --this is how many ER docs are employed. They belong to a group (as an independent contractor with in the group) that then contracts with the hospital to provide ER services. # 2 & 3 are the most common.