While most physicians associate night work with sleep deprivation, there are plenty of hospitalists who find working as a nocturnist to be a perfect fit for their personal and professional lives. Admittedly, the topsy-turvey timetable of nightwork. As you can see, our practice patterns vary significantly! That’s because each specialty in medicine found its own way to cover the 24/7 nature of medicine. Yes, it’s possible for a primary care doctor to work 9-5 four days a week when they only see patients by appointment.