Anyone else finding it difficult to stay awake during Rounds or Conference?

[JaSam]

So just finished my first week of med rotation and I swear at the end of the week day after call, I was barely hanging on there. But even throughout the week I've noticed it being extremely extremely difficult to stay awake during rounds when I don't have to present or during the noon conferences when we have some guest lecturer. I could care less about mundane patient reports unless theres a good teaching point but the noon conferences actually have valuable information or review so I'd like to stay awake at least to get the gist of that one. Anyone else feel this way or should I start getting checked for sleep apnea and all those good stuff?

I mean good lord, a lot of times I'd catch myself briefly going into a shut eyes, head down sorta thing or have these absence seizure like episodes where I'd just be staring at something in the room almost unconciously and totally miss out on something the group is discussing and be like WTF is going on here? Any suggestions on how to combat this? I can't imagine how bad this'll be when I'm an intern (if I make it there).
</div>

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[JustPlainBill]

How are your hours? We're pretty much there 7 am to 7pm, 5 days a week. Most of my classmates are too mentally wiped to do anything useful afterwards......I hear of med departments coming in a 6 and leaving by 2 at the latest......

How's it with you?

 

[JaSam]

How are your hours? We're pretty much there 7 am to 7pm, 5 days a week. Most of my classmates are too mentally wiped to do anything useful afterwards......I hear of med departments coming in a 6 and leaving by 2 at the latest......

How's it with you?

man coming at 6 and leaving by 2 I would love that schedule. No way man, we do 12 hour days just like you but we have weekend calls on a rotating basis so weekends are rarely off. do you know which rotation has the best hours? Ie. least amount of hours worked? I can't wait till that rotation.
</div>

 

[futuredo32]

So just finished my first week of med rotation and I swear at the end of the week day after call, I was barely hanging on there. But even throughout the week I've noticed it being extremely extremely difficult to stay awake during rounds when I don't have to present or during the noon conferences when we have some guest lecturer. I could care less about mundane patient reports unless theres a good teaching point but the noon conferences actually have valuable information or review so I'd like to stay awake at least to get the gist of that one. Anyone else feel this way or should I start getting checked for sleep apnea and all those good stuff?

I mean good lord, a lot of times I'd catch myself briefly going into a shut eyes, head down sorta thing or have these absence seizure like episodes where I'd just be staring at something in the room almost unconciously and totally miss out on something the group is discussing and be like WTF is going on here? Any suggestions on how to combat this? I can't imagine how bad this'll be when I'm an intern (if I make it there).
</div>

On my post call days during surgery, I was fighting so hard to stay awake in the OR(and I was freezing, which was probably the only thing that kept me awake). I think that during intern year, everyone is tired all of the time, but one's body adjusts at least a little bit over time.

It helps me to eat five small meals/snacks a day and drink a lot of caffeine. (I fit snack bars in my pockets and inhale them if needed😀).

man coming at 6 and leaving by 2 I would love that schedule. No way man, we do 12 hour days just like you but we have weekend calls on a rotating basis so weekends are rarely off. do you know which rotation has the best hours? Ie. least amount of hours worked? I can't wait till that rotation.

I think that the rotations with lighter hours vary quite a bit by hospital and even by attending. I did a radiology rotation and I was there from 8-5 every day(definitely not grueling hours). Yet, I've had friends who spent about three hours a day in the hospital for their radiology rotations. I'm doing a FP rotation right now and it's only about 35 hours a week, but I know some people who have spent 60 hours a week during their FP rotations. If you feel that you would like to schedule a lighter rotation so that you can catch up on sleep, it might be helpful to ask students at the hospital where you are doing your rotations.

Are you totally uninterested in your current rotation? Maybe when you are doing a rotation that interests you more, your attention won't drift too much?

 

[Tippmann]

Coffee. Lots of coffee.

 

[EternalMD]

if you're allowed to bring food, then that can be one way to keep yourself awake. The only caveat there is that you should pace yourself so that it will take you 40-45min to finish. If you just swallow it down in 5-10 minutes, it'll be impossible to stay up once it hits you

 

[OrnotMajestic]

I don't care if I've had 10 hours of sleep the night before, I can NOT stay awake in any form of lecture/rounds. I'm nodding off within the first 10 minutes, and I've always been this way. Hence why I never went to class, since it was pointless for me 90% of the time.

 

[JaSam]

Coffee. Lots of coffee.

Oh that's what everyone who's around me tells me. But I unfortunately have a terrible disdain for coffee and have only tried it once (and yes that was the first and last time). Its so bad that on some occasions if a lot of people in the room are drinking it, the mere smell of it from other people's coffee in the room is bad enough to make me want to throw up.

if you're allowed to bring food, then that can be one way to keep yourself awake. The only caveat there is that you should pace yourself so that it will take you 40-45min to finish. If you just swallow it down in 5-10 minutes, it'll be impossible to stay up once it hits you

This is probably the best advice I've found on here. I can't believe I never noticed this. I mean I'd have food on occasions but I'm usually starving by then and just literally shove it down my mouth and its all gone within the first 10 minutes (max 15). I even drink every last drop of my drink before then and so I've got to stay awake for the next hour on just concentration and trying to listen alone. And I'm sure you know, its like trying to stay awake after you've been shot up with some sedatives. I'll try to bring a bag of chips or something so I can continuously eat the whole duration tomorrow see how that works out. wish me luck.
</div>

 

[Green Chimneys]

A bag of chips might not be the best thing. The bag is loud and crinkly, the chips are loud and crunchy. The room is nice and quiet. Quiet munchy food ftw.

 

[surrender903]

Coffee. Lots of coffee.

the correct answer is diet mt dew.

 

[Richie Truxillo]

It doesn't get any better when you are an intern 😴

Bring some caffeine, eat small meals!

 

[Hurricane95]

Nah, you're not alone. Happens to me all the time. I've become accustomed to always leaning against a wall with my feet spread wide apart in case I fall asleep standing. I also find myself taking short naps in the OR while retracting and standing behind the attending's shoulder (so he can't see me). Those 1-2 minute super-power-naps at least rest the eyes a little and help the burning...damn sleepiness induced dry eye.

Actually there have been times in the OR when I caught myself from falling backwards asleep by a carefully placed retractor tightly gripping a slab of the patient's muscle or other tissue. Saved by the retractor! You eventually learn to lean back and nap in that position too. I can't wait for surgery to end.

For surgery we're there from 5am to 6-9pm, whenever the last case/evening rounds are over.

 

[QofQuimica]

Agree that chips are way too crinkly, but the general principle of moving your mouth to stay awake is good. I chew gum. Some attendings don't like it, so you have to chew a small piece and keep it against the roof of your mouth where no one will see it. It also has to be long-lasting (and sugarless, of course, so you don't rot out your teeth). The best brand I've found is Orbit White. Pick one of the mint flavors; peppermint will supposedly also improve your memory, so you'll get two for one. 😉

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I don't care if I've had 10 hours of sleep the night before, I can NOT stay awake in any form of lecture/rounds. I'm nodding off within the first 10 minutes, and I've always been this way. Hence why I never went to class, since it was pointless for me 90% of the time.

Following up on that point, I've got to say it sucks that I'm spending more time in lecture in 3rd year than I ever did in 1st and 2nd year. 👎 And yes, I almost fell asleep today.

 

[MattD]

it's not that uncommon. I've only had problems with it myself when postcall on a night that I got 0 sleep.... it can be tough to make it through rounds then. I did fall asleep during 'table rounds' once post-call, when we had admitted a ton of patients the night before and thus had about 2.5 hours of table rounds to get through before even seeing the patients. I was sitting there and my head just dropped. It was obvious. It didn't matter. No one said anything, it didn't affect my interactions with my team, and it didn't reflect in my eval. Just one of those things.

I also caught an intern falling asleep during noon conference last week. It was quite amusing, dark room and all, I just watched said intern as his head bobbed up and down, up and down in those little jerks. Took 30 minutes before his head went down and stayed down. No clue what that lecture was about 🙂

 

[Rogue Synapse]

Here's my chosen solution:

It's got three things going for it:
1. Caffeine (2 pieces = 1 red bull)
2. Chewing action
3. Peppermint (for the whole mental clarity thing)

I buy it by the case from Costco.

 

[GoBuckeyes913]

Oh that's what everyone who's around me tells me. But I unfortunately have a terrible disdain for coffee and have only tried it once (and yes that was the first and last time). Its so bad that on some occasions if a lot of people in the room are drinking it, the mere smell of it from other people's coffee in the room is bad enough to make me want to throw up.





This is probably the best advice I've found on here. I can't believe I never noticed this. I mean I'd have food on occasions but I'm usually starving by then and just literally shove it down my mouth and its all gone within the first 10 minutes (max 15). I even drink every last drop of my drink before then and so I've got to stay awake for the next hour on just concentration and trying to listen alone. And I'm sure you know, its like trying to stay awake after you've been shot up with some sedatives. I'll try to bring a bag of chips or something so I can continuously eat the whole duration tomorrow see how that works out. wish me luck.
</div>

As someone who doesn't drink coffee (gasp! I know).... I've found that eating protein meals keeps me more alert during the day, like eggs in the morning... chicken for lunch.. stuff like that. Rotations were kicking my butt at the start of my 3rd year (its a big adjustment), and I started going to bed earlier than I was used to, so getting a little more sleep helps as well..... just curious, how many hours do you get?

 

[Anka]

I'm also not a coffee drinker. Fear will keep you awake. So will standing at the back of the room (not leaning against a wall). If all else fails, you can excuse yourself for a couple of minutes and splash some cold water on your face.

Anka

 

[JaSam]

just curious, how many hours do you get?

less than 6.5 consistently. on call nights, around 5.5.

 

[Acherona]

I'm always nodding off during rounds or teaching. I hate the vindictive ones who call on you when they see your eyes drooping "Acherona, what do you think of that CBC?" "um, it's pretty normal.." "A hgb of 5 is normal??"
The only thing that seems to keep me awake is participating or taking notes. Snacks I'll eat within the first 5 minutes and I can't pay attention when I'm eating anyway, the food is just so much more interesting.

 

[Ombatay]

I've been trying to get 7 hours of sleep religiously, and stop on the way to school and slam a Dunkin Donuts iced coffee (luckily its on my walk to the hospital) to make it through morning rounds. Sometimes it still doesn't work. I find my required caffeine levels are climbing by the day, because I drink a large coffee at lunch...

Has anybody had any experience with this reflecting negatively in their evals? There's one student on my rotation who sleeps through every lecture, and I'm not that bad yet...

Anyway, with call and all, they can't be that upset with us falling asleep I figure. Esp if post-call.

 

[Rendar5]

Has anybody had any experience with this reflecting negatively in their evals?

yes, it reflects on enthusiasm and personality. I'm not going to get into my personal situation here. Suffice to say, my eval scores shot up significantly after I fixed the problem. 7+ hours of sleep every night is the minimum of an answer if not 8. Ppl skate by on 5-6 hours a night and that's just not effective. Caffeine only compounds the problem of chronic sleep deprivation because for every alertness high you get, you get the crash afterwards which requires more caffeine. Constantly eating works but isn't dealing with the problem (and protein is better than carbs cause of the crash again). Honestly, most ppl don't get obvious eval issues, but if the difference between doing good and really good on a rotation comes down to sleep, suck it up and go to sleep super early instead of doing late night socializing or studying.