| Job Description |
| Medical Student- Someone who has received a bachelor's degree and entered a four-year graduate program ( medical school). Usully, the frist two years of medical school are spent in the classroom, and the final two years are spent in a clinical setting where the student can experience more hands-on learning. A medical student is a doctor in training. A license to practice medicine requries graduating from medical school and serving an additional year as an intern in a teaching hospital. John Carter was a third-year medical student doing a surgical sub-internship (sub-I), which is a more intensive training program that funtions something like an audition prior to entering an internship |
| Intern- An intern is someone who has received an M.D. and is continuing to study in the hospital setting during his or her frist year out of medical school. An intern is licensed to practice medicine only wihtin the hospital and can write prescriptions. It is possible to leave the hospital after a year and go into private practice, but most doctors choose to continue thier education as residents. Theoretically speaking, an intern fills the slot that might otherwise be labeled " frist year resident." John Carter became surgical intern Dr. John Carter in the thired season of "ER." In the fourth season, Dr. Carter was an emergency medicine intern, having switched over from surgery. Dr. Corday stepped back to become an intern once again in season five in order to remain at County General |
| Resident- The hospital residency program begins wiht the rank of second-year resident and involves specialized training in areas such as surgery, pediatrics,internal medicine and psychiarty. Residencies last from two to six years, depending on the specialty. The frist season, Dr, Peter Benton was a second-year surgical resident, and Dr. Mark Green was a fourth-year emergency medicine resident and chier resident of the emergency room. In season two, Benton returned as a third-year resident; Green was promoted to attending physician. In season three Beton continued as foruth-year resident. In season four Beton was a fifth-year resident. |
| Chief Resident- A doctor in his or her senior year of residency who assumes responsibility for overseeing interns and junior residents. The chief resident is selected by attendings, and the title is considered a prestigious honor. Dr. Mark Green was chief resident of the emergency room in season oine; Dr. Kerry Weaver was chief of the emergency room in season two. |
| Fellowship- Fellowships follow a residency, though many doctors choose not to do them. Fellowships are sought by doctors who want to specialize in areas such as endocrinology, gastroenterology or cardiology. Dr. Benton was a fellow in the trauma surgery, which means that he spent six years in a surgery residency, became a full-fledged surgeon and decided to go back for further training in trauma surgery in order to work as a trauma surgeon in emergency room setting. |
| Attending Physician- Someone who has completed all medical tranining and received privileges ( that is, they are allowed to practice medicine) at a hospital. An attending physician is also responsible for supervising residents and medical students. The buck--professionally, legally and ethically--stops here. Dr. Green became attending physician in the second season of "ER"; Dr. Weaver became an attending in season three. They both continue to hold those positions Dr. Corday and Dr. Romano are surgery attendings |
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