In the United States and Canada, an
attending physician (also known as an
attending,
rendering doc, or
staff physician) is a
physician (
M.D. D.O. or
D.P.M.) who has completed
residency and practices
medicine in a
clinic or
hospital, in the specialty learned during residency. An attending physician typically supervises
fellows,
residents,
medical students, and mid-level practitioners. Attending physicians may also maintain professorships at an affiliated medical school. This is common if the supervision of trainees is a significant part of the physician's work. Attending physicians have final responsibility, legally and otherwise, for patient care, even when many of the minute-to-minute decisions are being made by
house officers (residents), medical students, or mid-level practitioners (i.e.
physician assistants and
nurse practitioners). Attending physicians are sometimes the 'rendering physician' listed on the patient's official medical record, but if they are overseeing a resident or another staff member, they are 'supervising.'