Quote:
Originally Posted by turkeyjerky
Maybe it's different b/c you're FP and thus have a more complicated call schedule (i imagine you cover clinic, inpatient and OB service so I could see that getting complex). But honestly I don't see how a typical inpatient IM or surgery call schedule is all that hard to get (well, maybe it would be now w/ the changes if a program hasn't gone to nightfloat, but that's beside the point). I mean, you're just plugged into an existing schedule: call->post-call->no call->pre-call->call...
Or, w/ night float: long call->post-call->short-call->pre-call.
I mean, it's not exactly rocket science. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for your schedule a few weeks in advance (and here, they certainly do have the schedules few weeks in advance and give them to the residents, but not the students).
Do your attendings find out their schedule the morning of?
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My FM program is a bit of an anomaly...OB coverage is completely separate from the call schedule. We also do a lot of home call, which simplifies things a bit. Since our FM attendings don't cover inpatient (we have hospitalists), their call schedule is extremely easy and is made a year in advance. But their lives and responsibilities are so completely separate from the residents, so it's not really a good analogy.
Part of the problem is is that most programs rely on a resident to make the call schedule. When you're already working 70+ hours a week, finding time to make the schedule that can accomodate once-a-week clinic, coverage of multiple hospitals, and still keep people within the hour regulations is tough. It'd be nice if the program gave that resident "administrative time," which many attendings get built into their schedule, but...<sigh>. So I imagine that it's frequently a last-minute, "burn the midnight oil" type of deal to get the schedule done in the nick of time.
Other links on resident call schedules and when people find out about them:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=739324
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=710931