Anesthesiology and family

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
C

ChasingMavericks

Full Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Messages
28
Reaction score
10
Hey everyone, I'm currently a medical student that's very interested in following the anesthesiology pathway. However, now that I've been getting older and I'm taking my relationship to the "next level", I've realized that, in the future, raising a family and actually being there for them is the most important thing/my goal. So, I'm wondering if I'll be able to do this as an anesthesiologist or will choosing this path lead me to become the "dad who was absent during their kids childhood". Honestly, I wouldn't mind taking jobs that have less hours for substantial less pay, but how feasible even is this? I'm currently in California and the other place where I would enojoy living is New York (my entire family is here).

Thanks, and regards, Mavericks.
Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Totally doable.

Lots of “parent track” or part time options out there if that’s really what you end up wanting.

I work full time with 24 hour call 1-2 times a week with plenty of vacation.

I don’t feel like I miss out on all that much, at least not compared to what it lets me provide for my family.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
1591734835039.gif


"next level"
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: 6 users
Members don't see this ad :)
Those jobs do exist. Some people who work for Kaiser claim that the expectations on their time are reasonable for the compensation, or so they have told me. Worth checking into if that's what you want. Some private groups have a few part-timers around to fill out the schedule. My group is in California and we have a few people like this. On the one hand, you are limiting your potential job pool, on the other, you only need to find one job that is a good fit. You are right to prioritize your family and it is good to think about those issues now. But realize that there is no easy way through residency and during those years, expect to see less of your family, regardless of where you match for anesthesiology.
 
It seems more and more people are valuing time with family over every last dollar. That’s a good thing as future employers won’t look at you weird when you bring it up.

It’s not uncommon to do 0.9 or 0.8 FTE (can either work a 4 day week or bank those days as vacation) and some places you can take a non-call position.

That being said, not every place will be on board with that. And as someone said above, residency and/or fellowship will be much less flexible.

Personal opinion: good for you for not chasing every last almighty dollar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Would not pursue anesthesia with the expectation of it being family friendly. Daily hours often unpredictable, call coverage is very predictable. Predictably a lot. If spending conscious time with family is a goal, consider outpatient primary care, psych, dermatology, ophthalmology. Yes there are exceptions. They also require compromise of some kind typically.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
Brick Majors said:
Would not pursue anesthesia with the expectation of it being family friendly. Daily hours often unpredictable, call coverage is very predictable. Predictably a lot. If spending conscious time with family is a goal, consider outpatient primary care, psych, dermatology, ophthalmology. Yes there are exceptions. They also require compromise of some kind typically.
Click to expand...

I am still a resident, so maybe attending life will be different. But, at least for now, what I bolded above cannot be more true. Whenever my wife asks what time I will be home for dinner, my answer is "I have no idea. Anytime between 5-8pm." Cases often run late, and when cases are done early, either there will be an add-on coming my way or I will be sent to relieve another resident/CRNA. Imagine the same scenario when your kids play sports and their games are scheduled at 6pm. That is a whole lot of kids games you will be missing.

Thankfully, my wife is also in medicine, so she understands, but it gets old very fast. The only predictability I have is post-call days. I am hoping that it gets better as an attending, and even if it does not, I am fine with it because I genuinely like the work I do in the OR. I can live with the choice I have made. However, DO NOT go into this field thinking this is a life-style field.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
Plenty of jobs with set hours. You also make less.
 
JiPo said:
I am still a resident, so maybe attending life will be different. But, at least for now, what I bolded above cannot be more true. Whenever my wife asks what time I will be home for dinner, my answer is "I have no idea. Anytime between 5-8pm." Cases often run late, and when cases are done early, either there will be an add-on coming my way or I will be sent to relieve another resident/CRNA. Imagine the same scenario when your kids play sports and their games are scheduled at 6pm. That is a whole lot of kids games you will be missing.

Thankfully, my wife is also in medicine, so she understands, but it gets old very fast. The only predictability I have is post-call days. I am hoping that it gets better as an attending, and even if it does not, I am fine with it because I genuinely like the work I do in the OR. I can live with the choice I have made. However, DO NOT go into this field thinking this is a life-style field.
Click to expand...
So, anesthesia is no longer part of the ROAD to success group of specialties in terms of lifestyle?
I always hear from people how anesthesia is a lifestyle specialty compared to most of the others. I mean, it's medicine at the end of the day, but yeah.
How many hours per week of work do you have as a resident?
 
Brick Majors said:
Would not pursue anesthesia with the expectation of it being family friendly. Daily hours often unpredictable, call coverage is very predictable. Predictably a lot. If spending conscious time with family is a goal, consider outpatient primary care, psych, dermatology, ophthalmology. Yes there are exceptions. They also require compromise of some kind typically.
Click to expand...
I'd imagine that this would be the case during residency, but would you say it's also the same as an attending?
 
JiPo said:
I am still a resident, so maybe attending life will be different. But, at least for now, what I bolded above cannot be more true. Whenever my wife asks what time I will be home for dinner, my answer is "I have no idea. Anytime between 5-8pm." Cases often run late, and when cases are done early, either there will be an add-on coming my way or I will be sent to relieve another resident/CRNA. Imagine the same scenario when your kids play sports and their games are scheduled at 6pm. That is a whole lot of kids games you will be missing.

Thankfully, my wife is also in medicine, so she understands, but it gets old very fast. The only predictability I have is post-call days. I am hoping that it gets better as an attending, and even if it does not, I am fine with it because I genuinely like the work I do in the OR. I can live with the choice I have made. However, DO NOT go into this field thinking this is a life-style field.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I mean, I don't think any residency is "lifestyle" or family friendly. I'm wondering as an attending, though.
 
As an attending, you can make your lifestyle however you like. Anesthesia is very amenable to part time work. Don’t expect to make big bucks working part time though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
xJoseph said:
So, anesthesia is no longer part of the ROAD to success group of specialties in terms of lifestyle?
I always hear from people how anesthesia is a lifestyle specialty compared to most of the others. I mean, it's medicine at the end of the day, but yeah.
How many hours per week of work do you have as a resident?
Click to expand...

I will let more senior members of the forum comment, but if you ask me, I would not consider it as life style specialty. You are providing service to surgeons. If surgeon wants to take a patient to the OR, you will be in the OR taking care of patients. If surgeon has an add-on at 6pm, while your late/call team are maxed out, someone from the day will have to stay late to staff the case. I have never seen anesthesiology department refusing to do a case. If surgeon wants to start at 5:30am, your anesthesiology department will find someone to staff the case. Perhaps my shop lacks backbone, but one time, our chair put up a fight, and the rumor is, the conversation did not go well with the suits. Surgeons always get what they want, and what they want tend to affect your lifestyle in negative ways.

Surgeons work hard, but they have far more control of their schedule. They choose which days and how many cases to operate on. They choose when to have clinic and how many patients to see. When they work late, they CHOSE to work late and scheduled it as such. When they want to have an early non-post-call day, they will also schedule as such. Surgery has issues of their own, and is by no means a perfect field, but they are in charge of their own schedule. This predictability and control is something you don't think about when you are younger, but is absolutely huge the older you get.

And yes, there are "mommy-track" jobs with no call, but you will get a pay cut. Not sure how common it is. Most jobs I have looked at seem to require taking call.

Lastly, as a resident, I work 65 hours a week on average, including weekends and calls.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Members don't see this ad :)
JiPo said:
I will let more senior members of the forum comment, but if you ask me, I would not consider it as life style specialty. You are providing service to surgeons. If surgeon wants to take a patient to the OR, you will be in the OR taking care of patients. If surgeon has an add-on at 6pm, while your late/call team are maxed out, someone from the day will have to stay late to staff the case. I have never seen anesthesiology department refusing to do a case. If surgeon wants to start at 5:30am, your anesthesiology department will find someone to staff the case. Perhaps my shop lacks backbone, but one time, our chair put up a fight, and the rumor is, the conversation did not go well with the suits. Surgeons always get what they want, and what they want tend to affect your lifestyle in negative ways.

Surgeons work hard, but they have far more control of their schedule. They choose which days and how many cases to operate on. They choose when to have clinic and how many patients to see. When they work late, they CHOSE to work late and scheduled it as such. When they want to have an early non-post-call day, they will also schedule as such. Surgery has issues of their own, and is by no means a perfect field, but they are in charge of their own schedule. This predictability and control is something you don't think about when you are younger, but is absolutely huge the older you get.

As a resident, I work 65 hours a week on average, including weekends and calls.
Click to expand...

You guys have no backbone....

It really depends on what your hospital’s culture TBH. OR staff sometimes is more of a rate limiting step than anesthesia at my shop. The union says they can only run x rooms at 330. They always dump it at my feet,

“oh anesthesia cannot run that many....”
“if you have the OR staff, I will find someone to stay....”

Not to say it’s the best solution, but it is one nonetheless. We pay our crna handsomely to stay, or the second call can go in a room for a bit.

Is it a lifestyle speciality? Probably not, but when you’re home, you are home. You don’t have to field calls, you don’t really have to follow up on your patients.

Sure there are occasional “interesting” cases you’ll follow out for a few days, but imaging some specific send out test, your MA, nurse or you forget to follow up, then result in some unseen consequences. Like for example, genetic marker for some bad cancer. Pathology report you forgot to sign out to your hospitalist colleagues and you’re off for a week. A radiology scan your resident, pa, np couldn’t get done, you’re the one ordering it. Sure some of my complaints are “work flow” or “systematic” issues in IM. But when I am at work, I deal with one to four patients at once, and that it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
ChasingMavericks said:
I'd imagine that this would be the case during residency, but would you say it's also the same as an attending?
Click to expand...

Yes. Some people work more, some less, but unless you work at an ambulatory surgery center, someone must take call. Even then you will often stay late, and may need to observe a patient for 23 hours. Consider all the hospital services that require anesthesia services and you will soon realize how busy this can be, and how it’s almost impossible to truly restrict hours. If you are providing anesthesia services to a hospital typically contractually you’ll need to provide 24/7 call coverage and a certain number of “rooms”, meaning availability to cover scheduled cases, from a start time until they finish. So, someone has to do that. That someone can be a private owner operated group, employees of a large anesthesia company, an employed hospital department, etc. How that labor is allocated can vary, but someone needs to do it. Usually, there’s a rotating system of availability, where people take turns covering the longer cases and inevitable add on cases that trickle in. Similarly they rotate taking the nights and weekends. This is predictable only to a degree. There are models that allow for some controllability, but fundamentally, it’s not.


Now keep in mind that the bulk of income is usually generated by anesthetizing insured patients getting scheduled surgeries or procedures. So whoever is providing anesthesia services needs to match their income generation to their labor expenditure to cover that contractual obligation. The more that labor expenditure is divided to allow truly protected time, there’s less of the income to be distributed.

Clearly, people have families. Often there is a conflict. Just my observation.
 
Here is an example:
2 weeks ago was vacation.
Last week I worked 6 hours Monday, 24 hour call Tuesday, off Wednesday, 4 hours Thursday, 24 hours Friday, Backup 24 hours Saturday (did not go in).
This week I worked 24 hours Sunday, didn’t work Monday or Tuesday, will work ~5 hours today, 24 hours Thursday, then off Friday. Next week is vacation.

So last week I was at the hospital 58 hours, and Saturday couldn’t go fishing.

This week I will work 53 hours, but only 3 days.

Over that period, I will miss dinner and bedtime 4 times, but be around a bunch of days. If enough surgeons wanted to do cases in the afternoon today, I would be staying until they choose to be done. If I left during the day, I would be fired (or counseled more likely). That is a lifestyle specialty and job to some, not others. I’m pretty happy with it.

Our ortho surgeons can make 7 figures working 3-4 days a week. They also can leave in the middle of the day on their kids’ birthday for lunch. That seems more lifestyle based than my schedule.

Our general surgeons are q3-4 call and have frequent long days. They also can just leave to make it to dinner/a party. But overall their life sucks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6 users
pjl said:
Here is an example:
2 weeks ago was vacation.
Last week I worked 6 hours Monday, 24 hour call Tuesday, off Wednesday, 4 hours Thursday, 24 hours Friday, Backup 24 hours Saturday (did not go in).
This week I worked 24 hours Sunday, didn’t work Monday or Tuesday, will work ~5 hours today, 24 hours Thursday, then off Friday. Next week is vacation.

So last week I was at the hospital 58 hours, and Saturday couldn’t go fishing.

This week I will work 53 hours, but only 3 days.

Over that period, I will miss dinner and bedtime 4 times, but be around a bunch of days. If enough surgeons wanted to do cases in the afternoon today, I would be staying until they choose to be done. If I left during the day, I would be fired (or counseled more likely). That is a lifestyle specialty and job to some, not others. I’m pretty happy with it.

Our ortho surgeons can make 7 figures working 3-4 days a week. They also can leave in the middle of the day on their kids’ birthday for lunch. That seems more lifestyle based than my schedule.

Our general surgeons are q3-4 call and have frequent long days. They also can just leave to make it to dinner/a party. But overall their life sucks.
Click to expand...
Those are in house 24 hour calls? Are they busy?
 
Honestly, if you are planning to work a non call position, you should just consider doing internal medicine or psych. There are a lot of easy very low stress jobs that pay the same as a non call aneathesia position.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 3 users
The lifestyle part of anesthesia is when you get out of the hospital, you are done. No phone calls, office hours, insurance ****, etc. Hours being unpredictable and hard to get individual days off if need are some of the bad. And like surgeons can, can't escape for lunch... The best perks are doing all doctor\procedural stuff minus all the BS work like rounding, having to talk to people, etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
It comes down to what you think will make you the happiest which is very tough to predict as a medical student, and goes beyond just hours(altho important). I remember being an MS3 in family medicine clinic and scheduled 8am-4pm mon-fri and let me tell you those days never ended. I'd see that list of 32 patient visits for the day and groan. The hours may not be much but I wouldn't be happy. Ideally you find something with decent lifestyle that you enjoy and I think anesthesia can fit that bill. The residency is also very manageable, 4 years and likely avg 60hrs/week based on my experience and talking with others.

In addition it should be noted that when anesthesia goes on vacation we don't have surgical related phone calls and complications from weeks prior that get pushed off to partners who are covering for you. As a result it is not uncommon for private anesthesia jobs to have 8+ weeks vacation. Personally, I'll take my 10week vacation job over the ability to grab lunch across the street.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Go to psych. Demand is through the roof and you make your own hours. With Covid, we gonna have a lot of folks messed up for a long time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
OneTyme said:
Totally doable.

Lots of “parent track” or part time options out there if that’s really what you end up wanting.

I work full time with 24 hour call 1-2 times a week with plenty of vacation.

I don’t feel like I miss out on all that much, at least not compared to what it lets me provide for my family.
Click to expand...
how many hours a week is that? do you get post call days off?
 
As others have suggested, lifestyle and time with family mean different things to different people. Emphasizing what another poster said, I find that the "when you're home, you're home" aspect of anesthesia particularly family friendly. Having considered a handful of other specialties with ongoing patient contact/commitment, I came to realize that I could never really "shut off" the cognitive drain that was parceled to the ongoing consideration of multiple patients' issues. So although my hours vary and can be unpredictable, the time I am able to spend at home with family is of higher quality, and I'm certainly more present than I would be if I had patients on my mind all the time. This is an individual choice, but something to add to the differential, so to speak.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 users
cchoukal said:
As others have suggested, lifestyle and time with family mean different things to different people. Emphasizing what another poster said, I find that the "when you're home, you're home" aspect of anesthesia particularly family friendly. Having considered a handful of other specialties with ongoing patient contact/commitment, I came to realize that I could never really "shut off" the cognitive drain that was parceled to the ongoing consideration of multiple patients' issues. So although my hours vary and can be unpredictable, the time I am able to spend at home with family is of higher quality, and I'm certainly more present than I would be if I had patients on my mind all the time. This is an individual choice, but something to add to the differential, so to speak.
Click to expand...
Very insightful response, thank you.
 
I don't know if I simply landed a diamond in the rough but my experience is completely different.

Residency:
CA1 - 80 hrs/week - 6am-5pm normal day + Q5 overnight 24hr call
CA 2 - 70 hrs/week - 6am-5pm + 4 hrs/week paid overtime + Q5-6 overnight 24hr call
CA 3 - 60 hrs/week - 6am - 5pm + 6hrs/week paid overtime + Q6-7 overnight 24hr call
Fellowship - 50 hrs/week + 10hrs/week paid overtime + No overnight call

Attending - Academic Institution - $400k package + Great retirement plans and benefits
Years 1-5 - 50-55 hrs/week 6am-3pm, including committee meetings + Q25 overnight 15hr call (come in at 4pm + leave at 7am)

I suspect i'm at the 30-40% MGMA percentile for earnings but my lifestyle is very conducive to family life with my husband and 2 kids
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7 users
chocomorsel said:
Those are in house 24 hour calls? Are they busy?
Click to expand...
Yes in house, no not busy. Slept at least 6 hours on each, plus some TV time. Sometimes I work straight through.

My normal schedule is a lot more 8-12 hour days, and less call. But this section illustrates how you can be home a lot, but still miss parts of life with the family. For me, I am very happy with my situation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Residency was busy for me 70-75 hours a week, occasionally an 80+. My first gig was at an AMC back east that was a big tertiary center that did everything - trauma, transplant, etc. Made some good cheese, probably did 55-60 hours/week. Picked up some extra here and there since it was less than residency. Moved to a private practice - no peds, ob, trauma, home call. I don't make as much but life style is pretty supreme. I do more call than the others but I can surf 2-4 days/week. Some weeks I do about 40 hours others 50. Schedule isn't always the most predictable with add ons and slow surgeons but I can get out for a scheduled lunch if needed if I work it out with my partners. Also, we have more vacation than other specialties.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
cchoukal said:
As others have suggested, lifestyle and time with family mean different things to different people. Emphasizing what another poster said, I find that the "when you're home, you're home" aspect of anesthesia particularly family friendly. Having considered a handful of other specialties with ongoing patient contact/commitment, I came to realize that I could never really "shut off" the cognitive drain that was parceled to the ongoing consideration of multiple patients' issues. So although my hours vary and can be unpredictable, the time I am able to spend at home with family is of higher quality, and I'm certainly more present than I would be if I had patients on my mind all the time. This is an individual choice, but something to add to the differential, so to speak.
Click to expand...

this whole shut down has given a lot of people time with their family. a lot of time. I’m sure with all this family time, some people would go back to work for free....
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
chocomorsel said:
Go to psych. Demand is through the roof and you make your own hours. With Covid, we gonna have a lot of folks messed up for a long time.
Click to expand...
Great advice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
xJoseph said:
So, anesthesia is no longer part of the ROAD to success group of specialties in terms of lifestyle?
I always hear from people how anesthesia is a lifestyle specialty compared to most of the others. I mean, it's medicine at the end of the day, but yeah.
How many hours per week of work do you have as a resident?
Click to expand...
I would say it's still the ROAD specialty in that we still make a very good amount of money for what we do. Even with decreasing physician salaries I believe we're still top 5 or even top 3 and in many large multi-specialty groups, much of what we bill subsidizes other specialties salaries. So financial success, yes. I think there was a time when it was considered a "lifestyle" specialty and my answer to that is, "depends on where you work". There very much so are q3 even q2 groups out there and while their W2s look nice (notice i said W2 and not bank account) they WORK plenty for that money.
 
turnupthegas said:
Residency was busy for me 70-75 hours a week, occasionally an 80+. My first gig was at an AMC back east that was a big tertiary center that did everything - trauma, transplant, etc. Made some good cheese, probably did 55-60 hours/week. Picked up some extra here and there since it was less than residency. Moved to a private practice - no peds, ob, trauma, home call. I don't make as much but life style is pretty supreme. I do more call than the others but I can surf 2-4 days/week. Some weeks I do about 40 hours others 50. Schedule isn't always the most predictable with add ons and slow surgeons but I can get out for a scheduled lunch if needed if I work it out with my partners. Also, we have more vacation than other specialties.
Click to expand...

Hah Eerily similar practice set up to mine. It’s almost hard for me to imagine a job that’s a better fit for me. I like call because it gives me a post call day to surf an empty lineup when everyone else is working. No kids yet but I’m imagining sleeping in the hospital and having post call days will also let me preserve personal time for hobbies in the future while they’re at school. Our practice lets us customize our schedule towards the types of cases we like and with hours. In the past, we have even been able to customize schedules to let people out consistently enough to coach sports teams.

I second what cchoukal said about actually being 100% off when you’re done with work or on vacation. Plus similar to ED, our specialty allows us to be mobile and move across the country if we desire. I am certainly not an expert on life as a surgeon but from my outside perspective it appears it is harder to move as a surgeon and ortho appears fairly saturated in desirable locations.

While i like call at this point in my life, there is a lot of call involved. I still don’t dread the phone call for an add on like i did for an admission intern year or during ICU rotations. I love random days off, random early days, random late starts. This is probably true for medicine in general, but friends and family never really seem to understand your schedule or lack of control of when the day might end.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
ChasingMavericks said:
I really loved ophtho, but it's insanely competitive.
Also diagnostic radiology.
Click to expand...
I’m going to save you a painful CA-1 year before you transfer out, because given your original post and your subsequent reply re: other specialties you like, I’m going to say anesthesiology is not a good fit for you.

If you had said ER, almost any surgical specialty aside from ophtho, critical care, interventional radiology, I’d say maybe. However, I can already tell you’re going to hate anesthesia residency, the work we do and the type of patients we have to care for.

I place high importance on compensation, lifestyle, levels of patient contact, job opportunities, etc as well, but in the end you still have to do the actual work you’ve signed up for.

Granted it’s not all the time, but more and more, you have to take care of very sick patients, with many serious co-morbidities in situations where they could decompensate and suffer disability or death in a very short period of time. And due to the “era” of patient’s we’re seeing during our working careers, nobody’s getting any healthier anytime soon. I’d hazard that this isn’t your cup of tea.

I know I’m making a huge assumption, but I’ve seen it multiple times. You can’t just pick a job due to all the other factors associated with it, while ignoring the actual work involved in that specialty.

Go where your strengths and interests lie, and amongst those, pick the specialty which will allow you the lifestyle you want.

You can say I’ve been harsh, or that I’ve assessed you incorrectly, but it is a terrible waste to change residencies partway if you could have avoided it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6 users
ChasingMavericks said:
While the hours that psych has the potential to give seem heavily enticing, it's not a specialty that's fit for everyone unfortunately haha
Click to expand...
No specialty fits everybody. Most specialties fit only a limited group of people, because they all require a particular combination of personality, knowledge, skills and passions.

Many anesthesiologists think that Anesthesia is a good fit for them, but, if one could ask, Anesthesia would disagree.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: 6 users
Velefunt said:
I’m going to save you a painful CA-1 year before you transfer out, because given your original post and your subsequent reply re: other specialties you like, I’m going to say anesthesiology is not a good fit for you.

If you had said ER, almost any surgical specialty aside from ophtho, critical care, interventional radiology, I’d say maybe. However, I can already tell you’re going to hate anesthesia residency, the work we do and the type of patients we have to care for.

I place high importance on compensation, lifestyle, levels of patient contact, job opportunities, etc as well, but in the end you still have to do the actual work you’ve signed up for.

Granted it’s not all the time, but more and more, you have to take care of very sick patients, with many serious co-morbidities in situations where they could decompensate and suffer disability or death in a very short period of time. And due to the “era” of patient’s we’re seeing during our working careers, nobody’s getting any healthier anytime soon. I’d hazard that this isn’t your cup of tea.

I know I’m making a huge assumption, but I’ve seen it multiple times. You can’t just pick a job due to all the other factors associated with it, while ignoring the actual work involved in that specialty.

Go where your strengths and interests lie, and amongst those, pick the specialty which will allow you the lifestyle you want.

You can say I’ve been harsh, or that I’ve assessed you incorrectly, but it is a terrible waste to change residencies partway if you could have avoided it.
Click to expand...
Could you please elaborate on the work you actually do and the types of patients you care for? Regarding types of patients, do you mean their comorbidities, or the attitudes? What were some of your reasons for going into anesthesiology? Was it a sense of personal gratification from being an expert at your craft, or was it more patient centered? I get much more satisfaction out of the former and hope that it's for the right reasons
 
Velefunt said:
I’m going to save you a painful CA-1 year before you transfer out, because given your original post and your subsequent reply re: other specialties you like, I’m going to say anesthesiology is not a good fit for you.

If you had said ER, almost any surgical specialty aside from ophtho, critical care, interventional radiology, I’d say maybe. However, I can already tell you’re going to hate anesthesia residency, the work we do and the type of patients we have to care for.

I place high importance on compensation, lifestyle, levels of patient contact, job opportunities, etc as well, but in the end you still have to do the actual work you’ve signed up for.

Granted it’s not all the time, but more and more, you have to take care of very sick patients, with many serious co-morbidities in situations where they could decompensate and suffer disability or death in a very short period of time. And due to the “era” of patient’s we’re seeing during our working careers, nobody’s getting any healthier anytime soon. I’d hazard that this isn’t your cup of tea.

I know I’m making a huge assumption, but I’ve seen it multiple times. You can’t just pick a job due to all the other factors associated with it, while ignoring the actual work involved in that specialty.

Go where your strengths and interests lie, and amongst those, pick the specialty which will allow you the lifestyle you want.

You can say I’ve been harsh, or that I’ve assessed you incorrectly, but it is a terrible waste to change residencies partway if you could have avoided it.
Click to expand...
Very insightful response. I don't think you're being harsh at all.
 
ChasingMavericks said:
Very insightful response. I don't think you're being harsh at all.
Click to expand...
I personally disagree, coming from a PGY-3 (almost 4?) Anesthesia resident with a wife and 3 kids.

I chose to pursue medicine due to my interest in ophthalmology, and eventually was choosing between ophtho and anesthesia. Numerous rotations in both helped me realize that anesthesia was just a better fit for me.

My residency has been pretty excellent. PGY-1 was approx 55hr/wk. Since then I've averaged 65hr/wk, but that includes usually 24-36hrs a month of internal moonlighting in the CVICU or OR on weekends.

While my hours and schedule are often unpredictable, they have not been bad. I personally love having call during the week and ending up with an early out day before my call shift, coming in 3p-7a, and having a post-call day off. It. Gives me days to get stuff done, occasional mornings to spend with my family and take my kids to school or get them off the bus, or go to lunch with my wife.

I am very happy with my life and schedule at this point. There are months where I work ~80hrs a week but those are cancelled out by chill months. My life, while unpredictable, is much much better than my surgical colleagues.

Ophtho has a much chiller life.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
abolt18 said:
I personally disagree, coming from a PGY-3 (almost 4?) Anesthesia resident with a wife and 3 kids.

I chose to pursue medicine due to my interest in ophthalmology, and eventually was choosing between ophtho and anesthesia. Numerous rotations in both helped me realize that anesthesia was just a better fit for me.

My residency has been pretty excellent. PGY-1 was approx 55hr/wk. Since then I've averaged 65hr/wk, but that includes usually 24-36hrs a month of internal moonlighting in the CVICU or OR on weekends.

While my hours and schedule are often unpredictable, they have not been bad. I personally love having call during the week and ending up with an early out day before my call shift, coming in 3p-7a, and having a post-call day off. It. Gives me days to get stuff done, occasional mornings to spend with my family and take my kids to school or get them off the bus, or go to lunch with my wife.

I am very happy with my life and schedule at this point. There are months where I work ~80hrs a week but those are cancelled out by chill months. My life, while unpredictable, is much much better than my surgical colleagues.

Ophtho has a much chiller life.
Click to expand...
Residency is downright sweet, when compared to some employed attending jobs. Almost like the life of a CRNA. Stool sitting, safety net, slow surgeons, 2-3 cases/day, learning new stuff... life is good.

Just you wait...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
FFP said:
Residency is downright sweet, when compared to some employed attending jobs. Almost like the life of a CRNA. Stool sitting, safety net, slow surgeons, 2-3 cases/day, learning new stuff... life is good.

Just you wait...
Click to expand...
Lol. If you are willing to earn a resident salary I’m sure your practice will make let you sit the stool for the slow surgeons or whatever else floats your boat ...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
FFP said:
Residency is downright sweet, when compared to some employed attending jobs. Almost like the life of a CRNA. Stool sitting, safety net, slow surgeons, 2-3 cases/day, learning new stuff... life is good.

Just you wait...
Click to expand...
Most of your posts on anesthesia that regard lifestyle are depressive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
FFP said:
Residency is downright sweet, when compared to some employed attending jobs. Almost like the life of a CRNA. Stool sitting, safety net, slow surgeons, 2-3 cases/day, learning new stuff... life is good.

Just you wait...
Click to expand...
I'll take it. It's funny how often I hear co-residents complaining and I feel like I'm living the sweet life.

Someone shared this here a long time ago and it is awesome.

 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
abolt18 said:
I'll take it. It's funny how often I hear co-residents complaining and I feel like I'm living the sweet life.

Someone shared this here a long time ago and it is awesome.

Click to expand...


You're welcome. They're also awesome in concert ...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

A
State of anesthesiology
Replies
14
Views
3K
anbuitachi
A
jope
Anesthesiology ranking near the bottom for both burnout and job satisfaction
2 3 4 5
Replies
201
Views
12K
NightyNight
N
Maskchamp
  • Locked
Surgery > Anesthesiology
Replies
7
Views
2K
Maskchamp
Maskchamp
F
Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship Application 2025
Replies
9
Views
3K
746anes
7
TheLoneWolf
When a family doc plays as both a plastic surgeon and anesthesiologist. Wow.
Replies
32
Views
4K
IMGASMD
I
Top