The Daily Schedule Of An Allergist

Allergists will mostly consult with out-patients in their office and they will manage in-patients that have been referred to them by other physicians and surgeons. The latter will usually occur when a physician needs an allergist's opinion on a possible allergic reaction and what tests and further management would be needed to treat the patient.

Allergists provide on call services for the hospital they work at during after hours and weekends. They are usually called on to provide an opinion regarding allergies and what medication to offer the patient. The specialist may be asked to consult with patients in emergency situations such as severe anaphylaxis and conditions such as Steven-Johnson syndrome.

Monday

Clinical and non-clinical administrative tasks are usually handled in the morning before the specialist starts to consult with patients.

Once these aspects have been dealt with, then the specialist will begin consulting. Patients seen by these specialists have usually been treated by their house doctors and they are being referred either because the treatment that was previously given was ineffective, or because the patient is having severe allergy symptoms and signs.

These patients will then be sent for the investigative tests that have been mentioned above, and they will be managed conservatively with medication or they may be admitted for further investigations and treatment.

The treatments that allergists offer include conservative measures (nasal rinsing with saline), oral medication (antihistamines, steroids) and immunotherapy (this involves exposing the patient to larger and larger amounts of an allergen in order to alter the immune system's response). 

READ Immunotherapy (Allergy Shots) as Long Term Allergy Relief

Tuesday and Wednesday

The specialist will continue to consult with and manage patients in the hospital and their rooms. The afternoons of these days may be used for filling in of chronic prescriptions, sending motivation letters to medical aid companies or for performing research for the doctors own academic purposes.

Thursday

The doctor will be consulting with patients again, but they will also be following up blood and patch test results on patients. These results will be discussed with the patient as well as what further management needs to be incorporated.

The afternoon may be spent training undergraduate medical students and postgraduate clinical assistants in internal medicine and allergy/immunology.

Friday

The specialist will continue to consult with, manage and provide feedback to patients. The doctor will also use this time to finish up with any unresolved administrative tasks. The work week can then conclude once all these issues have been dealt with.