Thread: Work week for Residency & Rotations

My wife is concerned that while doing my rotations and residency that I will be working a 100 hr work week and will not have any time for her and our future children. What is the typical work week for rotations? for residency? I'm looking at a family practice residency.

It's given I'll be working my butt off on the island but can I expect to be home with my wife and kids during rotations and/or residency? Thanks.

3rd-year rotations generally are as follows: (note, these will certainly be different at different hospitals, but this is a general guideline)

Surgery- expect to work 5 Am - about 6 PM. Call is usually 1 in 4 or 1 in 5. You'll have 1 day a week off. Very taxing rotation, but a lot of down time in the afternoons to study.

Medicine- generally 6:30 AM-5 PM. Call is 1 in 4 or 1 in 5. Need to study a lot in this rotation, since at least 50% of step 2 questions will be medicine questions.

ObGyn- The worst hours usually. Say goodbye to your wife for 6 weeks.

Psychiatry will be a 6-week vacation. Some weeks you might only work 30 hours. Inpatient can have long hours due to call, but at different hospitals the amount of time you spend on inpatient will vary.

Pediatrics- Inpatient has long hours, outpatient clinic is 8-5 usually. No call on outpatient.

Family practice- Generally 8-5.

The tough thing about 3rd year is that you have to study in addition to working. The cool thing is the stuff you study you actually use.

4th year is a year-long vacation.

Intern year is the toughest year. 90+ hours weeks are common.

What is/are the best hospital(s) for SGU students to do their core rotations?

Thanks,

Viraj

Your work week as a doctor and resident isn't going to be easy no matter what; they 100 hour weeks are being cut down by law but several disciplines will alway be long and hard. The difference between 80-hr and 100 isn't that much if you are missing your wife and family; better you look into this now - and pick a path that suits you- than when its too late (or difficult anyway) to change gears. But there is no way around a long internship year, and several student rotations that are consuming in year 3 mostly. If you focus on these as short term you'll be a lot happier.

There isnt really a "best" hospital to do cores. Each hospital is different and maay have its own strength. The best thing to do is check the entire list of hospitals that SGU have core hospitals at and then visit their website and do a little old fashion research on the hospital. I got placed at Brookedale, which wasnt even one of my 3 choices, to start cores in sept...I found out later that it was a level one trauma center and it was a great opportunity to see things that you may not see elsewhere. There may be a preference for you depending on whether you live near a hospital. For the most part I havent heard of a "bad" hospital for cores.
YOu have to make the most of it when you rotate, that is what I have been told by residents and by upperclassman.

Nimitt
3rd year

Thanks for your info on rotations. That was the schedual I expected for rotations.

For any doctors out there or anyone who knows, would a family practioner expect to work more than a 60hr work week? If not what is the average work day for a doctor in family practice or IM?

My dream is to become a doctor but my first priority is to my family. It's expected that time will be sacrificed during medical school and residency but once finished will we be working crazy hours where we have little time with our children and spouses. I'm talking about primary care.

thanks for the info

Internal Medicine or Family Practice,the hours will depend on the type of job you select and your desire to make money.A 9-5 clinic position with no nights or weekends is possible,but the income will be much lower than private practice.If you set up a practice or join a medical group the demands on your time and energy will be greater.Although some primary care docs may work 60 hrs a week this is not typical and most work far less.

...

Kittyjuice,

Wow, I hope you were joking for your sake. Otherwise stay single your whole life.


Nyphys1

Thanks for the info. That's what I expected to hear and what I have been hearing from other doctors. Are you done with your residency? It seems like most family practicioners are working for hospitals rather than opening their own practices. Do you know where I can find updated statistics of primary care doctors in CA? Thanks.