Attending physician

Categories: Medicine stubs | Physicians

An attending physician is a physician that has completed residency and practises medicine in a clinic or hospital, often focusing on the speciality learned during residency. An attending physician also supervises residents and medical students.

Legally, attending physicians have final responsibility for patient care, even when many of the minute-to-minute decisions are being made by subordinates (nurse practicioners, physician assistants, resident physicians, and medical students).