tension, additional trained hepatologists will almost certainly be required. [4][5][6][7] Unfortunately, certain perceived aspects of hepatology render it somewhat less attractive to To dispel the common notion that the practice of hepaundergraduate and postgraduate students who are considertology in North America largely consists of the care of ing their career options. Specifically, there is a common, longmiddle-aged male patients with alcohol-induced liver standing perception within the medical community (and lay disease, and, in the process, provide undergraduate and public) that diversity in hepatology is lacking, and that the postgraduate students with a clearer picture of what majority of liver disease patients consists of middle-aged, patient profiles might resemble in an urban, hospitalmale alcoholics with alcohol-induced liver disease. The purbased hepatology practice, 1,226 charts derived from repose of the present study was to clearly define the nature ferrals between July 1, 1987, and January 1, 1994, were and dynamics of an urban, hospital-based, outpatient, clinical retrospectively reviewed for the following information: liver practice and thereby provide medical students and year of referral, age and sex of the patient, practice of young physicians with a more informed basis from which to the referring physician, status of ongoing care, and prinmake their important career decisions. cipal diagnosis. The results of the study revealed the following: 1) referrals for assessment and care of pa-PATIENTS AND METHODS tients with liver disease are increasing at a rapid rate, 2) the majority of referred patients are between the ages All charts stemming from outpatient referrals to the Liver Dis-