Medical Social Work is a sub discipline of social work. Medical social workers typically work in a hospital setting, have at least one graduate degree in the fiel (Masters degree in Social work (MSW) or MSSW), and counsel patients on resources available to them. This counseling ranges from talking to a battered woman about how to press charges and access women's shelters to helping indigent patients access financial assistance.

MSW can also stand for a Masters degree in Social Work.