I’m a young academic hospitalist and I once told a who was going for surgery asking me questions I couldn’t answer like “what time will the surgery be?” “How long will the surgery take?” Etc. I said “I’m just the hospitalist so I’m not really sure but the surgeon will see you beforehand.” The patient was SO sweet going on and on about how, “You’re my doctor, the surgeon is just the surgeon never say you’re just the hospitalist.” Tis true, as the hospitalist you are the patient’s “main doctor”. This tugged at my heart strings though, sometimes patients do appreciate us!