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30 hour shift during residency
Started by Indymom
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Depends. Sometimes you get a few hours to catnap. A better percentage of time it's on your feet doing procedures, rounding, etc. It goes by fast if you are doing stuff. Depends on the rotation or residency. But they you go home and sleep and the week is half over.
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Usually the 30 hours ends at noon or 1, and then you can go home and sleep and don't have to be back until 6 am the next day. So around 17 hours. It usually pays to take a short nap, milk what you can out of the remaining afternoon, and then go to sleep at a normal time so you don't totaly screw up your sleep schedule. You may be doing this every 3rd or 4th night during some rotations/residencies. Many people actually like this better than the night float systems many places have, where you often have to stay until 11pm or later the nights of your call, and then go home and come back at 6 the next day. Shorter time to sleep, but in your own bed most nights. Overnight call is more hours in a row in the hospital, but at least you see daylight. Honestly, the staying until after 11 and getting back in before 6, with a commute on each end, will wear you down faster than not sleeping at all every 3rd night and having an afternoon off every 4th day. And the week flies by because each overnight is really 2 days of work.
It sounds a lot worse than it is when you are doing it. (at least from the med student perspective).
N
njbmd
Yes, you may find yourself in the hospital for 30 hours working. Call on most teams will last 24 hours with the last 6 hours are for finishing up patients that you previously admitted or started to workup. The medicine folks don't do that much standing but any of the surgical specialties are different. I have started a case at 7:30AM and finished after midnight. It happens and it's not the end of the world.
It isn't as bad as it would appear at face value. First, one would assume that you are doing something that you enjoy and second, there are often times to "rest" while you are waiting for things to happen.
It isn't just during residency that you have 30 hours "shifts" but as an attending, I have been spending 48 hours+ in the hospital because the situation needed for me to be there. There are no hours regs for attending physicians.
I am still alive and my guess is that I am older than most people who are sitting around reading this. You get used to the pace.
QofQuimica
Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....
Moderator Emeritus
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15+ Year Member
Well, if you're really lucky, your hospital's toilets may have seats on them. 😛
Ok, so seriously, you may be able to get a bit of sleep, but you shouldn't count on it. There's always work to be done. Fortunately, some of it can be done sitting down (writing notes, putting in orders, etc.) Also, some rotations have morning didactics, so that's a whole golden hour to sit (and maybe even nod off a little).
I can't say I really know anyone who enjoys taking call, including me. But you do what you have to do, and it won't kill you. Actually, I have to say that even more than the call, it's the nonstop rounding on some medicine services that drives me crazy.
