Schedule of anesthesiologists

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anbuitachi

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Hey guys/girls,

What are some common schedules/work hours for today's newly hired anesthesiologists in large urban areas (nyc, boston, la, etc) including call/overnights?

Thanks everyone :clap:

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3 types of schedules, especially for the newbies: bad, worse, and the worst.
 
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3 types of schedules, especially for the newbies: bad, worse, and the worst.
1399850937047.jpg
 
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Average of 65 hrs/wk. This comes from 9 to 10 hour non call work days with about one 24 hour weekday call per week and one weekend (30 or so extra in hospital hours) per month. 6 weeks vacay. Its basically the hours of 1.5 "normal" jobs.
 
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3 types of schedules, especially for the newbies: bad, worse, and the worst.
When are you going to come out and say that anesthesia is literally a fate worse than death?
 
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3 types of schedules, especially for the newbies: bad, worse, and the worst.
Let's not forget, more important than the sum total hours is NO CONTROL. None, zip, zilch. Your kids have a game and an "emergency" that you know is BS gets boarded, tough. You get called back after going home (thinking you were done for the day) for an add on, only to wait an hour because the surgeon is late. Oh well. Better to waste an hour of your time than 5 minutes of theirs. Absolute truth. These guys can get called to the ER for a consult but they can finish dinner, etc. We get called, it's stop, drop, and run out the door. It is a service industry and it is entirely about perception of that service. I've seen all kinds of coping: older docs that start to justify whatever BS the surgeon says to themselves, others that are just bitter, and a few shades between. I just smile and make small talk. At the end of the day, I've got a family to feed and they don't call it work for nothing.
 
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Let's not forget, more important than the sum total hours is NO CONTROL. None, zip, zilch. Your kids have a game and an "emergency" that you know is BS gets boarded, tough. You get called back after going home (thinking you were done for the day) for an add on, only to wait an hour because the surgeon is late. Oh well. Better to waste an hour of your time than 5 minutes of theirs. Absolute truth. These guys can get called to the ER for a consult but they can finish dinner, etc. We get called, it's stop, drop, and run out the door. It is a service industry and it is entirely about perception of that service. I've seen all kinds of coping: older docs that start to justify whatever BS the surgeon says to themselves, others that are just bitter, and a few shades between. I just smile and make small talk. At the end of the day, I've got a family to feed and they don't call it work for nothing.


We are a service industry, without surgeons we dont make money. Pretty much Gospel, although i attempt mitigation by being on some OR steering and peer review committees. The ICU is my way of balance, they get to wait for me to make treatment decisions, I am the one they look to for saving their dying patient. Consequently I get less CR8P than my colleagues.

Anesthesia is NOT the "ROAD" that I was told in med school, although I have made choices for tougher/sicker cases which put me in this place.
 
Thanks for the responses. I was told by advisors that Anesthesia is shift work so more predictable hours... i guess that's not true? at least anymore
 
Thanks for the responses. I was told by advisors that Anesthesia is shift work so more predictable hours... i guess that's not true? at least anymore

It is absolutely false. Surgeons can take their time, being hours late, and then getting upset at the anesthesiologist if there is a moments delay. I agree with what is said above. That being said, most of the time it is not an issue. You can get respect by being known as fast and efficient. (Thus if there is a delay, they presume it must be for some good reason). You can develop collegial relationships with them.

Setting all that aside, the nature of the business is inherently unpredictable in its hours. Cases often take longer than the amount of time they are schedule for. Cases get added on emergently in the evenings.

On the flip side, in my practice, I can take any random amount of vacation I want (no limit), so long as my partners have not requested it first. I do not have to find someone to manage my patients for me in my absence, generally speaking. Once a case ends, the patient is the surgeons problems. I do not answer calls on the patient overnight (unless I have an epidural or a peripheral nerve catheter in place and am managing all post-op pain).

Its a trade-off. I'd rather be me than them.
 
I work a minimum of 50hrs a week and really as much as I like beyond that in private practice. With early mornings and overnight calls in the mix, that 50hrs doesn't feel like a lot, but I'm sure that my perspective will change when I have a family. 6 week vacation minimum but really as much as I want beyond that, as long as I'm not asking for high demand weeks.
 
I work about 50 hrs/week on average. Range b/w 30 and 100. 12 weeks vacation. My schedule is fairly predictable, though, based on my position. If I'm "early" in the relief order, I usually leave between 11 am and 2 pm. If I'm "late" in the order, I might be there until 7 or 8. Most days, I leave by 3. We take in house call, 24/7/365. Backup call from home.
 
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I work about 50 hrs/week on average. Range b/w 30 and 100. 12 weeks vacation. My schedule is fairly predictable, though, based on my position. If I'm "early" in the relief order, I usually leave between 11 am and 2 pm. If I'm "late" in the order, I might be there until 7 or 8. Most days, I leave by 3. We take in house call, 24/7/365. Backup call from home.

what 100 hours?! 24/7/365?? so you are on call forever? how do you go on vacation if you are on call everyday of the year? wow anesthesiology is tough

And also, when people say work in an academic center for better schedule but less pay, does academic center just = to hospitals w/ residents??
 
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Thanks for the responses. I was told by advisors that Anesthesia is shift work so more predictable hours... i guess that's not true? at least anymore
It depends on where you work and how they are set up. When I work at a surgery center, gi, onco, radiation, etc. I will be out before 4 unless there is a big problem with a patient, usually much earlier. We have late people, call people and regular people at the big house. Regular people are almost always out by 4. If I have a meeting or something important, I let the coordinator know and I get out. When I don't have a commitment, someone else can get out first. It is very predictable where I am and my wife and I can work around our busy schedules fairly easily.
Nobody is calling me in from home when I'm not on call unless it is a mass casualty situation.
The closest thing you're going to get to real shift work is a 100% ambulatory practice. They lock the doors and turn off the lights at 430.
 
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The closest thing you're going to get to real shift work is a 100% ambulatory practice. They lock the doors and turn off the lights at 430.

Not all the time; We've some ASC's with surgeons that operate till 21:00. Though I understand that's not supposed to be the norm.
 
BBone means his group has anesthesiologist in house always, not him personally. He has a nice schedule.
We do 45 to 100 hours a week, average 55-60. Start 0645, end anywhere from not coming in to 2 am for noncall people. Most of time done by 430.
Our call is home call, 15 min page sent to showing face. Average q9 primary (normally 2 or 3 hours working after 2200), q9 backup (called in average 2/year)
10 weekends/year.
10 weeks vacation.
 
BBone means his group has anesthesiologist in house always, not him personally. He has a nice schedule.
We do 45 to 100 hours a week, average 55-60. Start 0645, end anywhere from not coming in to 2 am for noncall people. Most of time done by 430.
Our call is home call, 15 min page sent to showing face. Average q9 primary (normally 2 or 3 hours working after 2200), q9 backup (called in average 2/year)
10 weekends/year.
10 weeks vacation.

only 10 weekends per YEAR??? wow that is some tough schedule

oh wait is that resident or attending schedule (i see your status says resident)
 
Schedule. Lets see. Ran my a&$ off with 4 rooms all day today from 630 am to 830 pm. High acuity stuff too. Multiple central/a-lines. Been home 2 hours. Now headed back for an "ectopic" that they aren't sure is a real ectopic and she's been in the hospital for days. Oh, and did I mention I'm not 1st call? The job is a curse. How can a household's breadwinner walk away from a high paying career in good conscience? I for one will welcome an upheaval in the status quo. At least then I won't face the possible regret of voluntarily walking away in this economy.
 
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Schedule. Lets see. Ran my a&$ off with 4 rooms all day today from 630 am to 830 pm. High acuity stuff too. Multiple central/a-lines. Been home 2 hours. Now headed back for an "ectopic" that they aren't sure is a real ectopic and she's been in the hospital for days. Oh, and did I mention I'm not 1st call? The job is a curse. How can a household's breadwinner walk away from a high paying career in good conscience? I for one will welcome an upheaval in the status quo. At least then I won't face the possible regret of voluntarily walking away in this economy.

Dude that sucks. Life is too short for this. What are your other options?
 
I work 10 weekends a year. No not a resident. Total work ~ 210 days per year. 20 of those are weekday call, 20 weekend.
Our group is a very hardworking one, when working. I will get while the getting is good.
My goals:
1 front end load hard work, maximize income
2 live cheap
3 invest even moderately well
4 make more on investments than work
5 perform work as hobby within 10 years
 
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I work 10 weekends a year. No not a resident. Total work ~ 210 days per year. 20 of those are weekday call, 20 weekend.
Our group is a very hardworking one, when working. I will get while the getting is good.
My goals:
1 front end load hard work, maximize income
2 live cheap
3 invest even moderately well
4 make more on investments than work
5 perform work as hobby within 10 years


How does one accomplish steps 3 and 4? I haven't the foggiest idea, especially along that timeline. I would love to know if anybody has real life examples. After 17 years my investments wouldn't come close to replacing my income.

As for me, 60-70 hrs/week average. Some days short 630-10am...others 630-midnight. In house overnight call 1-3 nights/month, 4pm-7am. And I work 2-3 weekends/month by choice.

Our schedule is generally very unpredictable but we get as much unpaid vacation as we want and help each other out so we don't have to miss important events and hot dates.
 
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How does one accomplish steps 3 and 4? I haven't the foggiest idea, especially along that timeline. I would love to know if anybody has real life examples. After 17 years my investments wouldn't come close to replacing my income.

As for me, 60-70 hrs/week average. Some days short 630-10am...others 630-midnight. In house overnight call 1-3 nights/month, 4pm-7am. And I work 2-3 weekends/month by choice.

Our schedule is generally very unpredictable but we get as much unpaid vacation as we want and help each other out so we don't have to miss important events and hot dates.
Easy to make more off investments than work; dont work.
 
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