Obesity Medicine

Training path

1. College (bachelor’s degree) 4 years
2. Medical school (MD or DO) 4 years
3. Residency in a primary specialty 3–4 years
4. Obesity medicine certification (fellowship optional)

Training after medical school: 3–5 years. From the start of college: about 11–13 years.

Certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine; not an ACGME specialty.

Usual minimum program lengths from ACGME program requirements. Some doctors take extra research years or a second fellowship.

Who they are

• MD (DOs make up the rest) 82%
• Women 65%
• Graduated 35 or more years ago 9%
• Offer telehealth 62%
• Accept Medicare’s approved amount 94%

Sex and credentials from NPPES. Graduation year, telehealth and Medicare assignment from Medicare Care Compare, which covers clinicians enrolled in Medicare.

What they do most for Medicare patients

• Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes 27,259
• Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes 8,397
• Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 35 minutes 4,665
• Infusion into a vein for hydration, each additional hour 4,526
• Injection of additional new drug or substance into vein 3,063
• Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 50 minutes 2,754
• Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 40-54 minutes 2,621
• Insertion of needle into vein for collection of blood sample 2,583
• Annual wellness visit, includes a personalized prevention plan of service (pps), subsequent visit 2,554
• Emergency department visit with high level of medical decision making 2,469
• Infusion into a vein for therapy, prevention, or diagnosis, additional sequential infusion, 1 hour or less 2,158
• New patient office or other outpatient visit, 45-59 minutes 1,576

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Services billed to traditional Medicare in 2023 (Physician and Other Practitioners data); drugs given in the office are left out.

What they prescribe most

• Semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy) 9.5%
• Metformin Hcl (Glumetza, Metformin Er Gastric, Metformin Er Osmotic) 8.5%
• Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) 5.5%
• Atorvastatin Calcium (Atorvaliq, Lipitor) 5.3%
• Levothyroxine Sodium (Euthyrox, Levo-T, Ermeza) 3.9%
• Topiramate (Qudexy Xr, Eprontia, Topamax) 3.6%
• Amlodipine Besylate (Norliqva, Norvasc) 3.3%
• Lisinopril (Qbrelis, Zestril) 2.6%
• Losartan Potassium (Cozaar) 2.5%
• Bupropion Hcl (Bupropion Xl, Wellbutrin Sr, Wellbutrin Xl) 2.3%
• Rosuvastatin Calcium (Crestor) 2.2%
• Omeprazole 2.0%
• Gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin) 1.6%
• Pantoprazole Sodium (Protonix Iv, Protonix) 1.6%
• Metoprolol Succinate (Kapspargo Sprinkle, Toprol Xl) 1.5%

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Share of this specialty’s Medicare Part D prescriptions in 2024, including refills. Select a drug to see which of these clinicians prescribe it most, and where.

Hospitals where the most work

• Lehigh Valley Hospital Allentown, PA 6 Obesity Medicine at Lehigh Valley Hospital
• Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital Lebanon, NH 6 Obesity Medicine at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital
• Southcoast Hospitals Group Fall River, MA 6 Obesity Medicine at Southcoast Hospitals Group
• Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington Burlington, MA 5 Obesity Medicine at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington
• Cleveland Clinic Cleveland, OH 5 Obesity Medicine at Cleveland Clinic
• Northeast Hospital Corporation Beverly, MA 5 Obesity Medicine at Northeast Hospital Corporation
• Summa Health System Akron, OH 5 Obesity Medicine at Summa Health System
• Mainehealth Maine Medical Center Portland, ME 4 Obesity Medicine at Mainehealth Maine Medical Center
• Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA 3 Obesity Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital
• St Joseph Medical Center Tacoma, WA 2 Obesity Medicine at St Joseph Medical Center

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Clinicians who list the hospital in Medicare Care Compare. The number opens the list of who works there.

Schools they graduated from most

• New York College of Osteo Medicine of New York Institute of Technology 5
• Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 5
• Indiana University School of Medicine 4
• Midwestern University, Chicago College of Osteopathic Med 4
• Loma Linda University School of Medicine 3
• Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine 3
• Michigan State University College of Human Medicine 3
• Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine 3
• Nova Southeastern College of Osteo Medicine 3
• University of Illinois College of Med (chi/peor/rock/chm-Urb) 3

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From Medicare Care Compare (Medicare-enrolled clinicians only).