anesthesia call during residency

[adam73180]

Can someone (current residents) describe how call works in anesthesia residency? I know it is different in different programs, but how does your program work? How do your friends at other programs work call? How frequent is it, is it handled by a nightfloat system or overnight, how does it change from year to year, how are weekends handled? Thanks.

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[2ndyear]

It is very very different between programs, and overall probably not a great reason to choose one versus another. It would be helpful if you asked what specific programs you are interested in and you'll likely get responses from people in the know. Alternatively, if you just interested in very general info, here you go:
Overnight call is mandatory in all anesthesia residencies. Generally OR call is limited to a true 24 hours, ie 7 am to 7 am. No rounding post call, you're out the door. ICU months are the exception and rounding post call is almost universal, so expect to push 30 hours on call at most places.

Depending on the size of program, you may be expected to provide backup or specialty specific call from home as well. This could be for things like cardiac, transplant, pedi, etc.

 

[amyl]

Can someone (current residents) describe how call works in anesthesia residency? I know it is different in different programs, but how does your program work? How do your friends at other programs work call? How frequent is it, is it handled by a nightfloat system or overnight, how does it change from year to year, how are weekends handled? Thanks.

highly variable from program to program. there really isn't night float at any program i know of. programs range from q4 for four years, others are less and protect more weekends. ca one year call in general is probably mostly main or. ca twos and threes in general take liver and heart kind of calls.

 

[MTGas2B]

Even within programs the call may vary between sites. We cover four different hospitals, each does call differently. For main OR calls we generally start call days at 4 pm, are done by 7:30 or 8 am, and have our post call days off. We do that once every week to week and a half. Weekends and holidays are 24s.

Sometimes different services in the same operating room handle call differently, such as cardiac and ob. Our pain service is home call. Our ICU time is q4 24+6.

Night float systems exist. I've heard Duke has some sort of night float, but I don't know the details.

 

[Mista Suprane]

we generally start call days at 4 pm, are done by 7:30 or 8 am, and have our post call days off.

that's pretty much night float, although i know it's probably not called that. UPMC has a similar system (i think their residents come in at 3pm).

 

[drccw]

that's pretty much night float, although i know it's probably not called that. UPMC has a similar system (i think their residents come in at 3pm).

I would disagree- a night float typically would be covering every night for like a week at a time; ie.. 7PM-7AM 5 days in a row. UW's call is different... one 2-3 calls a month, in at 4 PM, out at 7 AM...

 

[Mista Suprane]

I would disagree- a night float typically would be covering every night for like a week at a time; ie.. 7PM-7AM 5 days in a row. UW's call is different... one 2-3 calls a month, in at 4 PM, out at 7 AM...

fair enough, i suppose the variable calls make it not a float. but the hours spent in the hospital on a given call day are similar.

 

[chocomorsel]

I would have to disagree with 2nd year. I know I was looking at call when I was interviewing. I mean if you end up liking two programs equally and will get the sam essential training but one offers q4 call and the other q6. I don't know about you guys, but I enjoy my sleep and love my call free days. I definetly think its one of those things you weigh out at the end when making rank list. Or maybe it's just me. I had a choice of a program that did about 5 calls a month 16-24hrs vs. one that did 7-8 a month 24hrs but had free health benefits and almost double the $ for moonlighting in house. I Liked both almost equally, with good training in both, but guess which one I chose. Anyway, maybe it's just me.

 

[MTGas2B]

that's pretty much night float, although i know it's probably not called that. UPMC has a similar system (i think their residents come in at 3pm).

Not a night float, as we only take these calls a little less than once a week. While the hours may be about the same, now instead of a pre- and post call day every time you have call, most of pre and post call days are the same thing (except the beginning and end of your string of nights). So you lose the time off surrounding calls.

We have a discussed a true night float, that is say Sunday through Friday nights you do the 4-7 gig. Everyone one dose a week at at time. The upside is you have one more resident in the OR (in our system now the post and pre-call residents aren't around), the down side is you lose the pre-post call days surrounding you calls, cause they're sandwiched together, you're trying to catch up on sleep. Most of us are opposed to the idea.

Of note, at UW and Harborview we have two residents main OR resident on call each night (childrens and VA only one), #2 resident is almost always a CA-1. At UW this OR2 call is technically a 24 call, but most of the time they are just on home call up to 4 pm. Weekends at the UW the OR2 is home call for all 24 hours, usually they come for the morning, help get cases done. The Sunday OR2 doesn't get monday off, but they are not suposed to do cases past 8 pm on Sundays (which doesn't happen much). If a second resident is need the cardiac resident (who is on home call for cardiac cases on a call schedule) comes in to take over, as they have their post call days off.

Getting back to the original question, everyone does things a little different, and it can vary between hospitals and rotations. You just have to ask the resident at the programs you are curious about. They'll all know which OR months have the worst call schedule. Consider their late schedules too. Most programs probably assign some people to stay late each evening. Often being on the late schedule is worse than being on call, because you generally still have to come back the next day.

 

[Doctor Octopus]

that's pretty much night float, although i know it's probably not called that. UPMC has a similar system (i think their residents come in at 3pm).

Yup. We come in at 3p and leave at 7a during the week with post call day off. Weekend call is 7a to 7a. We usually get 2-3 weekday and one weekend per month. Our ICU rotation call is variable