What is it Like to Be a Pulmonologist? What are the Daily Job Tasks of People Working in this Profession?

Pulmonologist, also called pneumology diseases specialist is an internist doctor who focuses on respiratory system treatment.

The Pulmonology Specialized Center of the University Hospital in Motol is concerned with diagnostics, treatment, evaluation and research of diseases of the lower respiratory tract with emphasis onto intensive pneumological care, interventional bronchology, comprehensive care for patients with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis, oncology including biological therapy, sleep medicine, examination of patients prior to lung transplantation and also, the treatment of tobacco addiction. In 2014, we treated more than 3000 patients.

If you come as a shadowing student to gain a practical insight into the profession, the doctors will show you their day-to-day routine as well as dealing with sudden situations. Here you see, what each doctor is in charge of:

By shadowing me, you may see how to examine a patient with a pulmonary disease and the work of a doctor in the pulmonary center. You can learn about the most frequent pulmonary diseases, including pulmonary tumors, as well as the most frequent internal diseases. You can learn about various patient examinations, including ECGs. I will show you how to describe an RTG of the chest, what a normal scan and its results look like and how to identify various pathologies, and how a CT scan appears. You will also see a bronchoscopy examination and how spirometry lung functions are examined.

You will see the everyday medical tasks in the Pulmonology center - physical examinations of patients and assessing the results of laboratory tests and imaging tests. I perform bronchoscopies, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic procedures like thoracentesis, SONO of the chest, drain extraction, blood administration, and so on. Once a week, there are important patient rounds with the head of our specialized center. We analyze medical records of patients and plan the following steps for treatment - the diagnostic procedure. Once a week you can also see the interdisciplinary seminar. There is always a chest surgeon, an oncologist, and other specialists. We discuss bronchoscopies, chest punctures or work in the acute outpatient pulmonology center. I take care of newly admitted patients, discharging patients, and the transport of patients to other hospitals or departments.

During the day you will participate in the doctor’s rounds (including in the ICU), the physical examination of patients, and see lab and x-ray results. Another experience you may gain is seeing a bronchoscopy examination, including complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that are conducted under total anesthesia. Further you may see spirometry, cytology, or a chest ultrasound examination, including the conduction of a diagnostic or evaluation of a thoracentesis (pleural puncture). You may meet patients before and after lung transplantations, as well as cystic fibrosis patients.

That is not all! See everything you might witness as a shadowing mentee right here.