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Robert Wachter, MD, Internal Medicine, San Francisco, CA

Robert M. Wachter MD

Internal Medicine•San Francisco, CA

Hospital Medicine/Hospitalist

Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine, UCSF

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  • 505 Parnassus Ave# M-994San Francisco, CA 94143

  • Phone+1 415-476-7991

  • Fax+1 415-502-5869

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Summary

  • Dr. Robert Wachter is an internal medicine specialist based in San Francisco, CA, whose clinical focus is hospital medicine. He completed his MD at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a residency at UCSF and a fellowship at Stanford. Author of 300 articles and 6 books, he coined the term “hospitalist” in 1996 and is often considered the “father” of the hospitalist field, the fastest-growing medical specialty in U.S. history. He is a past president of the Society of Hospital Medicine, past chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine, a Master of the American College of Physicians, and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. Modern Healthcare magazine has ranked him among the 50 most influential physician-executives in the U.S. more than a dozen times; he was #1 on the list in 2015. His 2015 book, "The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age," was a New York Times bestseller. His new book is "A Giant Leap: How AI is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future."

Education & Training

  • Stanford Health Care-Sponsored Stanford University
    Stanford Health Care-Sponsored Stanford UniversityResidency, Internal Medicine, 1988 - 1990
  • University of California (San Francisco)
    University of California (San Francisco)Residency, Internal Medicine, 1983 - 1986
  • Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
    Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaClass of 1983
  • University of Pennsylvania
    University of PennsylvaniaBA, Political Science, Magna Cum Laude, 1975 - 1979

Certifications & Licensure

  • CA State Medical License
    CA State Medical License 1984 - 2026
  • Internal Medicine
    American Board of Internal Medicine Internal Medicine

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

  • "The Digital Doctor" on New York Times bestseller list The New York Times, 2015
  • Named the fourth Most Influential Physician Executive in Healthcare (ninth year in a row on the "50 most influential" list) Modern Healthcare magazine, 2016
  • Named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare (#58, one of only two academic physicians on list, and fourth time on this list) Modern Healthcare magazine, 2016

Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Journal Articles

  • Resolving the Productivity Paradox of Health Information Technology  
    Robert Wachter, MD, JAMA
  • Financial incentives and mortality: taking pay for performance a step too far  
    Gupta K, Kachalia A, Wachter RM, BMJ Quality & Safety, 1/1/2016
  • Reimagining electronic clinical communication in the post-pager, smartphone era  
    Khanna RR, Wachter RM, Blum M, Journal of the American Medical Association, 1/1/2016

Books/Book Chapters

  • The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine's Computer Age 
    Wachter RMMcGraw-Hill, New York2015
  • The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine's Computer Age 
    Wachter RMMcGraw-Hill Professional, New York2015
  • Making Health Care Safer II: An Updated Critical Analysis of the Evidence for Patient Safety Practices 
    Shekelle PG, Pronovost PJAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD2013

Lectures

  • 16th Annual Management of the Hospitalized Patient 
    University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California - 10/25/2012
  • Hospitalist Mini-College 
    University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California - 10/22/2012
  • Healthcare in the 21st Century 
    University of California, San Francisco, California - 4/20/2012

Other

  • How measurement fails doctors and teachers 
    Wachter RM, The New York Times
    1/16/2016
  • Gregory House, MD, RIP 
    Wachter RM, USA Today
    1/22/2012
  • An American view of the UK’s patient safety enterprise: top down vs. bottom up [Perspective] 
    Wachter RM, AHRQ WebM&M
    http://www.webmm.ahrq.gov/perspective.aspx?perspectiveID=122
    1/1/2012

Authored Content

  • It’s Time to Consider Delaying the Second Dose of Coronavirus VaccineJanuary 2021

Press Mentions

  • Health Advice From A.I. Chatbots Is Frequently Wrong, Study Shows
    Health Advice From A.I. Chatbots Is Frequently Wrong, Study ShowsFebruary 9th, 2026
  • Is Giving ChatGPT Health Your Medical Records a Good Idea?
    Is Giving ChatGPT Health Your Medical Records a Good Idea?January 9th, 2026
  • What’s Going to Be Hot at TCT 2025
    What’s Going to Be Hot at TCT 2025October 9th, 2025

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