AMA FREIDA Medicine Residency Hours

[JPSmyth]

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Hi all,

I was browsing the AMA site and came across the residency/fellowship search function. I was looking through some potential fields of interest of mine, and I noticed that some hours are less than expected.

The site provides the avg hours worked per week as a first year resident, and in some IM programs this number was as low as 54. These were university-affiliated community programs. In big name university hospital programs I saw as high as 75.

My main questions - if I want to do IM -> cards (or any competitive IM subspecialty), can this be achieved if I match residency at a university-affiliated community hospital rather than a large academic medical center? I go to a reputable USMD school and am an above average student.

Also, is this common for community hospitals to have more lifestyle-friendly residencies than academic university hospitals?

Thanks

 

[bashwell]

Hi all,

I was browsing the AMA site and came across the residency/fellowship search function. I was looking through some potential fields of interest of mine, and I noticed that some hours are less than expected.

The site provides the avg hours worked per week as a first year resident, and in some IM programs this number was as low as 54. These were university-affiliated community programs. In big name university hospital programs I saw as high as 75.

My main questions - if I want to do IM -> cards (or any competitive IM subspecialty), can this be achieved if I match residency at a university-affiliated community hospital rather than a large academic medical center? I go to a reputable USMD school and am an above average student.

Also, is this common for community hospitals to have more lifestyle-friendly residencies than academic university hospitals?

Thanks

Of course, it's better to go to an academic/university program since IM residency reputation counts for so much (and you'll likely get into a "better" or more academic cards fellowship coming from a bigger name university program). However, if you match to university affiliated community hospital, it's not the end of the world, as long as you do electives in cardiology at the academic/university place, get good LORs from cardiologists there (and if possible the cardiology fellowship PD), get some research in, then most likely you should be able to match somewhere. IMGs who need visa sponsorship match into cardiology each year so as a US MD you should be in a much better position. From NRMP's fellowship match data (2017):

Cardiology
-US MDs 482/537 (89.8%)
-Total 855/1147 (74.5%)

 

[JPSmyth]

Of course, it's better to go to an academic/university program since IM residency reputation counts for so much (and you'll likely get into a "better" or more academic cards fellowship coming from a bigger name university program). However, if you match to university affiliated community hospital, it's not the end of the world, as long as you do electives in cardiology at the academic/university place, get good LORs from cardiologists there (and if possible the cardiology fellowship PD), get some research in, then most likely you should be able to match somewhere. IMGs who need visa sponsorship match into cardiology each year so as a US MD you should be in a much better position. From NRMP's fellowship match data (2017):

Cardiology
-US MDs 482/537 (89.8%)
-Total 855/1147 (74.5%)

Thanks, your posts are always helpful.

I think that I will be able to match into a big name IM program (based off the track record of my school), but it would be nice to have a bit better lifestyle during residency, so long as it doesn't shut me out of fellowship opportunities.

Are there any IM programs at university hospitals that are known to be more lifestyle-oriented? Like 60 hour weeks or less?

 

[bashwell]

Thanks, your posts are always helpful.

I think that I will be able to match into a big name IM program (based off the track record of my school), but it would be nice to have a bit better lifestyle during residency, so long as it doesn't shut me out of fellowship opportunities.

Are there any IM programs at university hospitals that are known to be more lifestyle-oriented? Like 60 hour weeks or less?

Hmmm that's a good question, but I'm not really sure. There are so many variables. Like is the residency an X+Y system (e.g., 4+2), what about night float, I think ICU is almost always going to be long hours no matter where you end up etc. Also I wouldn't look only at the sheer quantity of hours. Look at other things like ancillary support, because you could be working less hours overall, but if you have poor ancillary services then you might end up working harder even though you are working less hours overall. Sorry that's all I really know, maybe someone else will be able to name specific programs that are good in terms of lifestyle? Things can get a lot better after intern year too, when you are more efficient etc.

 

[sinombre]

I'm in a different specialty (general surgery), but if I were you I wouldn't automatically believe hours reported by programs. And I definitely wouldn't use lower hours reportedly worked as a primary selection criteria. The point of residency is to learn to be a competent physician, not to have an awesome lifestyle. If that's something that's important to you, it'll come later after you put in the work.

I honestly can't imagine only working 54 hours a week. It's hard enough staying under 80 hours as is.

 

[WheezyBaby]

I'm in a different specialty (general surgery), but if I were you I wouldn't automatically believe hours reported by programs. And I definitely wouldn't use lower hours reportedly worked as a primary selection criteria. The point of residency is to learn to be a competent physician, not to have an awesome lifestyle. If that's something that's important to you, it'll come later after you put in the work.

I honestly can't imagine only working 54 hours a week. It's hard enough staying under 80 hours as is.

I don't know about 54 hours, but the month long periods of outpatient rotations for categorical medicine residents are going to bring the average hours down. Wards will get more toward the 80 hour week end of the spectrum, but still not surgery hours the majority of places. With regard to the OP, there are a few workhorse programs, but in general I don't think medicine residency is hard enough / long enough that you should let lifestyle play much of a role in your program selection. It just isn't that bad