| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Clinical and Medical |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Medical Director |
| Direct reports | Dietitian |
| Experience | 2 to 6 years in diabetes care after MD, in a diabetes clinic or hospital |
Diabetologist job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Diabetologist
Department: Clinical and Medical
Reports to: Medical Director
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Diabetologist manages people with diabetes over years, not single visits. They diagnose type 2, type 1 and gestational diabetes, plan tablets and insulin, screen for eye, kidney, nerve and foot complications, and work with educators and dietitians to change daily habits. Most practise in hospital diabetes clinics or diabetes care chains. A good diabetologist brings HbA1c down safely without hypoglycaemia, catches complications early and keeps patients coming back for review.
Key responsibilities
- Diagnose diabetes and prediabetes from sugar and HbA1c results, classify the type, and set individual targets for sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Start and adjust oral medicines, insulin and newer injectables, balancing sugar control against hypoglycaemia risk and the patient's budget.
- Teach insulin technique, home sugar monitoring and hypoglycaemia handling to newly started patients, with the diabetes educator.
- Screen every patient at set intervals for retinopathy, kidney disease, neuropathy and foot problems, and refer to the eye, kidney and foot teams.
- Manage early diabetic foot ulcers with offloading and dressing plans, and refer to the surgeon promptly when infection spreads.
- Manage gestational diabetes with the obstetrician, adjusting insulin through pregnancy and planning sugar testing after delivery.
- Handle sugar control for admitted patients in other departments, including insulin plans around surgery.
- Review continuous glucose monitoring reports and sugar diaries, and make changes the patient can follow at home.
- Plan meal and exercise advice with the dietitian around the patient's food habits, fasting days and work shifts.
- Run diabetes camps, workplace screening drives and patient education sessions for the hospital or clinic.
Requirements
- MD or DNB in General Medicine with a fellowship or diploma in diabetology
- Valid registration with the National Medical Commission or a State Medical Council
- A certificate course in evidence-based diabetes management is an advantage
- 2 to 6 years in diabetes care after MD, in a diabetes clinic or hospital
KRAs and KPIs for a Diabetologist
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Glycaemic control | At least 50 percent of patients under care for 6 months at or below their individual HbA1c target |
| Hypoglycaemia safety | Severe hypoglycaemia needing hospital care below 1 percent of insulin users a year, each case reviewed |
| Complication screening | Annual eye, kidney and foot screening completed for 90 percent of registered patients |
| Patient retention | At least 70 percent of patients return for review within 3 months of their last visit |
| Inpatient sugar control | Sugar control opinions for admitted patients given within 6 hours of request |
| Insulin education | Every patient starting insulin trained and checked on injection technique at the first visit |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Glucometer and HbA1c analyser, Continuous glucose monitoring system, Biothesiometer, Monofilament and foot pressure scanner, Fundus camera, Electronic medical records.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Head of Department (Clinical), Medical Director
Interview questions for a Diabetologist
- A 50-year-old truck driver on three tablets has an HbA1c of 10. How do you start insulin without affecting his work?
- How do you manage a patient on insulin who fasts every Monday and through Navratri?
- What do you check at every visit, and what only once a year?
- A patient returns only when his sugars are very high. How do you keep him engaged between visits?
- How do you plan insulin for a patient going for surgery in two days?
- When would you refer a diabetes patient to an endocrinologist?
Managing a Diabetologist in ZeniaHR
Hire and manage your clinical and medical team in one place
Post the role, onboard the new hire, and track attendance, leave and KRAs in ZeniaHR. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does a diabetologist do?
A diabetologist diagnoses and treats diabetes and its complications. They plan tablets and insulin, teach sugar monitoring and injection technique, screen the eyes, kidneys, nerves and feet, and work with dietitians on food and exercise. Most see the same patients every few months over many years.
What is the difference between a diabetologist and an endocrinologist?
A diabetologist focuses on diabetes, usually after an MD in medicine plus extra diabetes training. An endocrinologist holds a DM in endocrinology and treats all hormone disorders, including thyroid, pituitary, adrenal and bone problems as well as complex diabetes. Unusual or hard-to-control cases often go to an endocrinologist.
Is a diabetologist a qualified specialist in India?
Yes, although there is no separate DM degree in diabetology. Most diabetologists are MD physicians who have completed a fellowship or diploma in diabetes and practise mainly in diabetes care. Employers should check the base degree, the diabetes training and the medical council registration.