Hi Everyone,
I am wondering what the third year schedule is like for med students. How often you are on call, when are you expected to be at the hospital, when you get home, etc... I know it varies from place to place, but I am interested in getting the general idea.
Thanks so much!

40-90 hours/week; varies widely based on rotation, residents, and attendings.

Largely depends on the rotation. You can be on call q3, q4 or q6. Expect to be in the hospital by 5:30 am (the absolute latest) for Surgery and OB/GYN, 6:30am for medicine and peds, and 9 am for radiology. When not on-call, used to get home from Surgery and OB/GYN between 6-7pm (sometimes 8-9 pm) and everything else between 4:30-5pm.

40-90 hours/week; varies widely based on rotation, residents, and attendings.

Agreed.

40-90 hours/week; varies widely based on rotation, residents, and attendings.

Exactly. There really is no way to tell.

Besides the hours of 40-90 a week average depending on what rotation you are on, do you at least get one day off a week or is it all day every day during a rotation like surgery, OB/GYN, etc? I can work long hours with no problem but I do like to have that one day a week to sleep and rest for myself. Thanks to all that reply. THis is a subject I have wondered about.

For some rotations you have the whole weekend off. Others, you're either on for 6 days, off for 1, or on for 12 days, off for 2.

Don't let these people scare you. I worked about 25-30 hours a week in med school on the side.

Don't let these people scare you. I worked about 25-30 hours a week in med school on the side.
I did too. But my assertion was correct initially.

I think you should find out from other med students at you school to find exactly what your looking for. I mean if you want short hours on a certain rotation ask around someone should know something. Other than that some rotations you won't really know what you can get away with or if you'll even like that rotation until you get there. The more you like something the more likely you are to stick around and the more you will learn. For example I took a Path elective middle of third year because I heard it was a blow off rotation. Turns out I loved it and while other medical students were leaving at 1:00 or 2:00 pm I was sticking around until 5:00 or 6:00 o'clock.