Differences Between Resident Doctors and Attending Physicians

When you’re in a hospital setting, you might encounter multiple healthcare professionals—each playing a specific role in your care. Among them are attending physicians and resident doctors. While both are medical doctors, their level of experience and responsibility differs significantly.

Let’s break down what sets them apart, how they fit into the medical hierarchy, and what to expect from each during your care journey.

Understanding the Medical Hierarchy in Hospitals

To truly grasp the differences between resident doctors and attending physicians, it's important to understand the standard hierarchy in a teaching hospital:

• Medical Student – A student in medical school who is observing and learning
• Intern – A first-year resident, also known as a PGY-1 (Post-Graduate Year 1).
• Resident Doctor – A medical school graduate receiving hands-on training in a chosen specialty.
• Fellow – A doctor who has completed residency and is now receiving sub-specialty training.
• Attending Physician – A board-certified physician who has completed all training and can practice independently.

Each role contributes to patient care under varying levels of supervision.

What Is a Resident Doctor?

A resident doctor is a physician in training. After graduating from medical school and earning either an MD or DO degree, new doctors enter residency programs that last anywhere from 3 to 7 years, depending on the specialty.

Resident doctors:

• Are licensed physicians but still under supervision
• Provide direct patient care
• Learn advanced skills in their specialty
• Are typically referred to as “Dr.” by staff and patients
• May take on leadership roles as senior or chief residents
  
  

What Is an Attending Physician?

An attending physician is a fully trained and board-certified doctor. They are the highest-ranking medical doctor in a patient’s care team and have completed both medical school and residency.

Attending physicians:

• Supervise residents, fellows, and medical students
• Make final decisions on diagnoses and treatments
• Carry legal responsibility for patient outcomes
• May serve as faculty in academic hospitals
• Can practice independently or in a hospital team
  
  

The Role of Fellows in Patient Care

Fellows sit between residents and attendings. They’ve completed a residency and are now training in a sub-specialty like cardiology, oncology, or pediatric surgery.

While optional for some specialties, fellowships are mandatory for others. Fellows often:

• Supervise junior residents
• Perform advanced procedures
• Gain deep expertise in a narrow field
• Contribute to medical research and academic writing
  
  

Intern vs Resident: What's the Difference?

Interns are in their first year of residency. They’ve completed medical school but are just beginning hands-on training.

After the first year, interns are promoted to residents and start taking on more complex tasks, including:

• Conducting patient rounds
• Performing procedures under supervision
• Leading junior interns
• Preparing for board exams

Interns are often more limited in what they can do independently compared to more senior residents.

Common Residency Specialties

Residents train in many medical fields, such as:

• Internal Medicine
• Emergency Medicine
• Pediatrics
• General Surgery
• Anesthesiology
• Psychiatry
• Radiology

Each specialty has a different length and focus of training, but all prepare the resident for independent practice or a fellowship.

What Is a Chief Resident?

Chief residents are selected from among the most experienced residents to lead their peers. This is often a final-year role and includes administrative responsibilities, such as:

• Coordinating schedules
• Mentoring junior residents
• Acting as a liaison between staff and residents
• Teaching medical students
  
  

Medical Students: Where They Fit In

Before becoming interns or residents, individuals start as medical students. These students:

• Spend two years in classrooms learning basic sciences
• Spend two years in clinical rotations at hospitals
• Cannot prescribe medications or perform procedures independently
• Are supervised by residents and attendings

Medical students gain exposure to many specialties before choosing one for residency.

How to Tell Who’s Who in a Hospital Setting

In academic hospitals, identifying someone’s role can be tricky. While white coat lengths can offer clues (short for students, longer for attendings), it’s not foolproof.

To identify a doctor’s role:

• Check their hospital ID badge
• Ask directly: “Are you the attending physician?”
• Refer to signage or team rosters near the patient room

Understanding each person’s title helps patients know who is making decisions about their care.

From Medical School to Attending: The Timeline

Becoming an attending physician requires a long and structured path:

1. 4 years of undergraduate education
2. 4 years of medical school (MD or DO)
3. 3–7 years of residency
4. Optional 1–3 years of fellowship
5. Passing board exams to become board-certified

This means a physician could be in training for over a decade before becoming an attending.

Final Thoughts: Why This Hierarchy Matters

Every doctor you encounter—whether a medical student or attending—plays a role in delivering care. Resident doctors offer enthusiastic and up-to-date knowledge, while attending physicians provide experience and oversight.

This system ensures quality care, ongoing learning, and safety for patients.

Take the Next Step on Your Path to Medicine

If you’re a pre-med student or aspiring doctor looking to better understand this path, Go Elective can help. Our global health internships in Kenya and Tanzania offer students hands-on shadowing experience under licensed attending physicians.

Ready to gain insight into what it’s like to work as a resident or attending? Learn more about our pre-med and medical shadowing programs at goelective.com/healthcare and get the guidance you need to confidently pursue a medical career.

Article Details

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Recent Articles , Pre-health, Medical Electives,

Author: Go-Elective Abroad

Date Published: May 9, 2025