| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Clinical and Medical |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Head of Department (Clinical) |
| Direct reports | Respiratory Therapist |
| Experience | 2 to 6 years after MD in hospital respiratory medicine |
Pulmonologist job description template
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Job title: Pulmonologist
Department: Clinical and Medical
Reports to: Head of Department (Clinical)
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Pulmonologist, or chest physician, treats diseases of the lungs and airways: asthma, COPD, tuberculosis, pneumonia, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer work-up and sleep apnoea. They run OPDs, read lung function tests, perform bronchoscopy, manage respiratory failure in wards and ICU, and often lead the hospital's TB care. A good pulmonologist confirms the diagnosis with the right tests, keeps chronic patients stable and out of hospital, and sees TB treatment through to completion.
Key responsibilities
- See OPD patients with cough, breathlessness, wheeze, chest pain or abnormal chest X-rays, and plan tests and treatment.
- Perform and interpret spirometry, DLCO and other lung function tests, and use them to grade asthma and COPD.
- Diagnose tuberculosis with sputum tests, molecular tests and bronchoscopy, and manage treatment and notification under programme guidelines.
- Perform flexible bronchoscopy with lavage and biopsy, and EBUS where the hospital has the facility.
- Manage respiratory failure with oxygen, non-invasive ventilation and high-flow therapy, and decide ICU transfer with the intensivist.
- Perform pleural procedures such as thoracocentesis, chest tube insertion and medical thoracoscopy.
- Evaluate interstitial and occupational lung disease with HRCT review and multidisciplinary discussion.
- Diagnose and treat sleep apnoea through sleep studies and CPAP titration.
- Teach inhaler technique, run pulmonary rehabilitation and plan vaccinations for chronic lung patients.
- Work up suspected lung cancer with imaging and biopsy, and refer to oncology with a complete staging summary.
Requirements
- MD or DNB in Respiratory Medicine, or DTCD
- Valid registration with the National Medical Commission or a State Medical Council
- Training in interventional pulmonology or sleep medicine is an advantage
- 2 to 6 years after MD in hospital respiratory medicine
KRAs and KPIs for a Pulmonologist
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 |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic confirmation | Spirometry done for 100 percent of new asthma and COPD diagnoses |
| TB treatment completion | At least 90 percent of TB patients started at the hospital complete treatment or are handed over with records |
| COPD readmissions | Readmission within 30 days below 10 percent of COPD exacerbation discharges |
| Bronchoscopy safety | Major complications below 1 percent of bronchoscopies, each case reviewed |
| Inhaler technique | Inhaler technique checked at every visit for 100 percent of inhaler users |
| Opinion response | Respiratory opinions for ward and ICU patients within 6 hours of request |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Spirometer and PFT lab, Flexible bronchoscope, Non-invasive ventilator, Polysomnography system, Pleural procedure kits, Pulse oximeter.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Head of Department (Clinical), Intensivist
Interview questions for a Pulmonologist
- A smoker with COPD has been admitted for the third time this year. What would you change?
- How do you confirm TB in a patient whose sputum tests are negative?
- When would you start non-invasive ventilation, and how do you know it is failing?
- A young woman's asthma is not controlled on inhalers. What do you check first?
- Walk me through preparing a patient for bronchoscopy with biopsy.
- A factory worker has breathlessness and nodules on X-ray. How do you look for an occupational cause?
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Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does a pulmonologist do?
A pulmonologist, also called a chest physician, diagnoses and treats diseases of the lungs and airways, including asthma, COPD, tuberculosis, pneumonia, interstitial lung disease and sleep apnoea. They perform lung function tests and bronchoscopy, manage breathing failure with oxygen and ventilation support, and work up suspected lung cancer.
Is a pulmonologist the same as a chest physician?
Yes. In India the two terms describe the same specialist. The older degree was MD in Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, and the current degree is MD in Respiratory Medicine. Both train doctors to treat lung and airway diseases, manage TB and perform bronchoscopy.
When should you see a pulmonologist?
See a pulmonologist for a cough lasting more than three weeks, breathlessness on mild exertion, repeated chest infections, wheezing that inhalers do not control, loud snoring with daytime sleepiness, or an abnormal chest X-ray or CT. Smokers with ongoing breathlessness should also have their lung function tested.