3rd, 4th year and residents, what to do when youre sick?

[IDontHaveAnyFeet]

Out of curiosity, what do you guys do when youre sick?
If youre one of those people who falls under the weather often (every 2 months) do you get in trouble
Is there a certain level of ill you have to be to not come in, or is a scratchy throat enough?

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[Rekt]

Out of curiosity, what do you guys do when youre sick?
If youre one of those people who falls under the weather often (every 2 months) do you get in trouble
Is there a certain level of ill you have to be to not come in, or is a scratchy throat enough?

You go to work sick

 

[sliceofbread136]

>101 temp or vomiting= stay home

 

[CherryRedDracul]

If it's a sore throat or a cough, I come in. I wear a mask if I'm coughing or sneezing.

If I'm sick to the point of being delirious, then I call out sick as soon as I know I won't be able to make it to my next shift so that coverage can be arranged.

 

[WingedOx]

3rd/4th year residency is a different game in Psych.

/scheduled afternoons off for myself for US World Cup games during PG3.

 

[libertyyne]

Its seems like the culture of medicine is , even if you have recently contracted ebola show up to work.

 

[operaman]

I’ve taken 2 sick days in 3 years of residency (flu positive both times). These should be extremely rare and obviously you need to let everyone know immediately when you aren’t well and may not be able to come in. Usually I’ve known the night before and could give people a heads up in advance so coverage could be arranged. Nobody wants a sick person to come in.

Our program is pretty awesome in that the faculty basically let us self govern with this kind of stuff, though obviously that comes with a responsibility not to abuse it and to enthusiastically pitch in if you have to cover for a sick colleague.

The worst thing you can do is no-show and not call. There’s just no excuse these days. If you’re getting sick more often or know you are prone to this, it would be a good idea to see your personal physician or occupational health or someone Each and every time you’re sick. If someone decides to make an issue of it, you’ll want some documentation that you were truly sick and not just hungover or something. Depending on how many days you miss, it could also impact your date of graduation if you are missing too many - there are clearly written rules for each field regarding required number of weeks on service.

 

[Money Moniker]

When an M3 doesn't show up when it's game-time, people die. Failure is NOT an option.

 

[ThreeCheers]

3rd year- check your syllabus for sick day policies. Most likely, you'll be able to miss a day as long as you have a doctor's note.
4th year- lol stay home, obviously. Notify your preceptor if you feel like it.
Residency-suck it up and deal with it.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

One sick day in 5 years of residency when I had norovirus and was in the ER. I worked the day I had to have surgery (had it at the end of the day on a Friday)... and was back at work the following Monday.

 

[WingedOx]

Wait is the OP asking about residency or med school?

 

[IDontHaveAnyFeet]

You go to work sick

Are the docs cool with that? I wouldnt be the happiest patient on earth if Dr house was coughing and sneezing all over me

 

[IDontHaveAnyFeet]

Wait is the OP asking about residency or med school?

In general. Anyone who is a physician and has to work for someone else.

I always thought hospitals would highly recommend anyone who is sick to stay away (surgeons for example)

 

[IDontHaveAnyFeet]

One sick day in 5 years of residency when I had norovirus and was in the ER. I worked the day I had to have surgery (had it at the end of the day on a Friday)... and was back at work the following Monday.

Is a sick surgeon okay in the OR?

 

[DBV]

Fourth year I've taken a sick day every other week I'm pretty sure

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Is a sick surgeon okay in the OR?

If you’re not contagious, no one cares.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[siliso]

If you are snotty and coughing all over or having GI distress as a a medical student....the world will go on without you and your pathogens, take a day off following your clerkship policies.

In residency the test is is my illness bad enough that someone else who was expecting a day off or a light day should have to work in my place. Or would I be okay with working in the place of someone as sick as I am today. Fever, intractable vomiting, can’t function safely to take care of patients, need to go to the ED yourself...those cut it. Sniffles and scratchy throat, tummy ache. nah, go to work.

 

[togaedere]

For residency the culture will vary widely depending on location, specialty, and what rotation you are on.

Scratchy throats I don't think are enough really for anything. Remember someone has to cover you, so if you are the type of person who takes out frequently it becomes a thing where you start needing to pay back. One or two times a year and (at least at my place) no one will expect this.

If there are serious bugs you are going to pass on (flu, norovirus, etc) please stay home until you are no longer contagious, but your chief residents should give you some guidance on this as well. There was just a thread on this and I relayed that I got flu intern year, swab positive, and was sick for 2 days. I was kept out for 4 because I was working in the newborn nursery and my chiefs said they didn't want to take the chance. No one was called in for me, the rest of the team just split the coverage and my co-intern on the service had to cover a weekend day that he otherwise would have had off.

I think you are asking the policy for 3rd and 4th year medical students. It's not as pressing because no one has to find coverage for students, but same deals apply - sniffles can probably come in to work but wear a mask, more serious stuff and fever can stay home. Again communicate to people and they will tell you what to do.

I remember first starting residency I was not sure about what to do in case of conjunctivitis. Turns out we just put on a mask with eye shield and clean all our stuff habitually.

Out of curiosity, what do you guys do when youre sick?
If youre one of those people who falls under the weather often (every 2 months) do you get in trouble
Is there a certain level of ill you have to be to not come in, or is a scratchy throat enough?

 

[Crayola227]

I love how the same posters have different answers in different subforums

 

[mimelim]

6 years of residency so far, I came in 3 hours late earlier this year when I had been up all night after eating something bad. If symptoms had persisted beyond the morning, would have taken the entire day off, but thankfully they subsided enough that I could go in. Of our residents who have been here 4+ years, I can think of only one that has taken more than a couple of sick days off. Our schedule is already pretty brutal. When someone doesn't show up, people have to cover. The morning that I was out, I coordinated two other senior guys to round on my ~10 patients at about 5am. I'm sure they weren't thrilled about seeing extra people in the morning, but it happens.

 

[siliso]

We tend more to have to encourage people to go home or stay home if they’re too ill to function well or are contagious. That’s what the jeopardy system is for, but people naturally don’t want to use it and have someone have to come do their work for them. That thought process is good I think and discourages any abuse of the system but sometimes people go overboard in trying to tough it out. Not much problem in the other direction at all, though I’ve heard in other programs that Jeopardy may be used more often for milder discomforts. Culture dependent, I agree.

 

[Mass Effect]

Its seems like the culture of medicine is , even if you have recently contracted ebola show up to work.

No, it's really not. Some of us get pissed at those who come in contagious and getting the rest of us sick. Don't abuse your sick days and when you're legitimately sick, call out.

 

[Psai]

ROUND OR ROUNDED ON

 

[PrettyLadyDoc24]

Out of curiosity, what do you guys do when youre sick?
If youre one of those people who falls under the weather often (every 2 months) do you get in trouble
Is there a certain level of ill you have to be to not come in, or is a scratchy throat enough?

Depends on the level of sick. As a student I tried not to miss unless I was visibly snot-nosed and feverish, but I was sent home with the flu during an anesthesia rotation (what was I thinking???). As a resident you'll probably be entitled to 4-5 sick days a year, I only used mine for minor dental surgery and tried to work through the tiny colds with a little Sudafed and hot tea. Unfortunately working with anything less than the flu is common in medicine and frankly common wherever you work in the US.

 

[libertyyne]

No, it's really not. Some of us get pissed at those who come in contagious and getting the rest of us sick. Don't abuse your sick days and when you're legitimately sick, call out.

I was talking about culture in general. Every place I have ever worked Docs came in sniffling , looking miserable etc.
Reasons Physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians Work While Sick
Many Doctors Would Work While Sick with Flu, Fever

 

[DocWinter]

In 3rd year I was sick one day, called in the 2nd to last day of peds amd then stumbled in Friday to give my presentation.

Didn't call in all of 4th year. Until the match that is. I've been calling in sick a lot after the match. At least once a week. I just diagnose myself and make the call. It's weird how much I've called in sick since the match, just wacky.

 

[Oso]

ROUND OR ROUNDED ON

/end thread.