Apft

[mberes]

Does anyone know when, if one is about to start their internship, when they would take the APFT? I report 8 June and would like to know if I will be taking the APFT in the first several weeks.

Thanks.

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[xpert787]

Usually you take it during the orientation period, which is the first 2 weeks.

 

[mberes]

Thanks so much.

 

[bogatyr]

I hope it has changed, but when I was an intern almost a decade ago the APFT we took in the first two weeks was diagnostic. Of course it was mandatory, yet if you passed you got no benefit. You then had to take a record PT test, but it had to be done before the residency applications were submitted in September when it was 80 degrees and 80% humidity at 5am. It was hard to decide whether to spend your precious free time as an intern reading for your rotation or exercising to stay fit enough to pass the test. Of course, these days you could just use one of your ACGME mandated nap times to pound out a few miles on the cardiac rehab treadmills.

 

[RangerDoc]

I hope it has changed, but when I was an intern almost a decade ago the APFT we took in the first two weeks was diagnostic. Of course it was mandatory, yet if you passed you got no benefit. You then had to take a record PT test, but it had to be done before the residency applications were submitted in September when it was 80 degrees and 80% humidity at 5am. It was hard to decide whether to spend your precious free time as an intern reading for your rotation or exercising to stay fit enough to pass the test. Of course, these days you could just use one of your ACGME mandated nap times to pound out a few miles on the cardiac rehab treadmills.

The APFT must have been harder back then if it was a struggle to pass. Just saying...

 

[bogatyr]

You may be in for a shock as to the general physical condition of many of your colleagues. Most of them aren't former 11A, athletes, or even coordinated.

My point is that some people recognized this and worked diligently to get into shape during 4th year of med school when you have free time for that sort of thing, expecting to be able to pass the APFT and check that box when they showed up. Then they had a lot harder time passing the test after 2-3 months of internship intervened.

 

[RangerDoc]

You may be in for a shock as to the general physical condition of many of your colleagues. Most of them aren't former 11A, athletes, or even coordinated.

My point is that some people recognized this and worked diligently to get into shape during 4th year of med school when you have free time for that sort of thing, expecting to be able to pass the APFT and check that box when they showed up. Then they had a lot harder time passing the test after 2-3 months of internship intervened.

I fully appreciate the physical prowess of the medical corps. I was making a jab at being able to do ~45 pushups and run 2 miles in ~17 minutes just like you made a jab at our mandated nap time. Im of the full belief physical fitness does not correlate to medical knowledge or ability.