Average work day

[rlop17]

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Im currently finishing up my MS3 year and will be applying to PMR. My question is- what is the average work day?
I hear of some programs working until 1-2, and can leave when they have finished their work duties (but are available by beeper untill 5) and then some other programs require their residents to stay to 5 even if their clinical duties are finished.

Any body know what programs do what and why?

 

[MedBronc23]

I can tell you that when I rotated at Mayo on externship the hours were pretty good 7/8am - 5/6 pm. PM&R residency usually has home call, but some residency programs (UTSW, Indiana, and Baylor Houston/UT-Houston come to mind) still did in-house call. The in-house call was not bad though. I would say if you are asking because you went into this for Plenty of Money and Relaxation and good hours than you are doing it for the wrong reasons. PM&R is a great field, and anyone would be lying to you if they said that the lifestyle it affords isn't a nice perk. But, many physiatrists (at least the ones I know from the two programs I did externships at, from my PM&R mentor, and our rehabilitation hospitals here in my home state) work extremely hard and put in many hours improving the lives of their patients. This applies across the gambit of sports rehab, pain, MSK, general inpatient rehab, and SCI and TBI centers. I am not trying to infer that "good hours" are why you are going into PM&R, and I am sure you have excellent reasons and experiences that drew you to the field. I am just in the camp of wanting hard working, bright, and frankly the best people to be attracted to our field. I hope you are one of them. Good Luck with applications and interviews in the future.

 

[eljefe]

Im currently finishing up my MS3 year and will be applying to PMR. My question is- what is the average work day?
I hear of some programs working until 1-2, and can leave when they have finished their work duties (but are available by beeper untill 5) and then some other programs require their residents to stay to 5 even if their clinical duties are finished.

Any body know what programs do what and why?

By and large, you can expect 8-5 M-F. Call varies by program but is generally infrequent and light compared to your buddies in most other specialities besides derm, path and rad onc (they may acutally have us beat). The majority of the big inpatient programs take in-house call; smaller inpatient programs typically take home call; however, a few programs with "home call" use it so you can cover multiple facilities and you may not be "home" too much.

If you want to make some money once you get done with training, you will likely be working longer hours than you did in residency. On the other hand, there are plenty of lower paying jobs out there that even beat resident hours....

Medbronc was right about some things, but his reply was a little idealistic... Many people in PM&R, including myself, could likely picture themselves in a few other specialities. We all have our own reasons for choosing the field but the lifestyle is top on the list for many--it is okay to be honest. Even with a great lifestyle, you will more than likely be doing PM&R for the next 30+ years of your life, so make sure you like it.

 

[PMR 4 MSK]

Im currently finishing up my MS3 year and will be applying to PMR. My question is- what is the average work day?
I hear of some programs working until 1-2, and can leave when they have finished their work duties (but are available by beeper untill 5) and then some other programs require their residents to stay to 5 even if their clinical duties are finished.

Any body know what programs do what and why?

That should not be anywhere on your list of reasons to apply or not to any particular programs.

You can expect to be at the hospital minimum 8 am to 5 pm M-F, with occasional weekend work. You may need to stay later or come in earlier depending on patient and attending demands.

IF you get out early on a given day, it's a bonus. Go home and read. Or go out and jog and then read later. Don't count on it. If it is a regular thing, your residency is failing you in it's mission to train you. 40 hours/week x 50 weeks/ year x 4 years = 8000 potential hours of learning and experience, which isn't enough to be a good doctor. That will make you an ok doctor, one safe enough to treat easy patients.

No one wants a residency with scut work or long hours of busy work. But if you compare it to IM with 60 + hours at the hospital per week, and surgery at 80 +, you have nothing to complain about. My hardest rotation was SCI - one rehab resident, 7 am - 6 pm M-F + rounds saturday and Sunday. We all complained about it endlessly. A few months of the year we had a urology resident with us. The one I had with me found the hours made it like taking a vacation. He would have done an extra month if he could. It's all about perspective.

Also know that it will vary within a program and by attending. I had attendings let me go when I was done for the day, others required me to stay until they left or dismissed me. One got upset when she found me studying outside, as I was not on the ward.

If hours are what you are after, wait until you are done with residency and the amount you get paid varies directly with how many huors you work. Then you decide how much you want to work. Until then, put in as many hours as you can learning, and the best learning takes place at the patient's bedside. Sounds cliche, but it is more true than you can imagine.

 

[RUOkie]

That should not be anywhere on your list of reasons to apply or not to any particular programs.

You can expect to be at the hospital minimum 8 am to 5 pm M-F, with occasional weekend work. You may need to stay later or come in earlier depending on patient and attending demands.

IF you get out early on a given day, it's a bonus. Go home and read. Or go out and jog and then read later. Don't count on it. If it is a regular thing, your residency is failing you in it's mission to train you. 40 hours/week x 50 weeks/ year x 4 years = 8000 potential hours of learning and experience, which isn't enough to be a good doctor. That will make you an ok doctor, one safe enough to treat easy patients.

No one wants a residency with scut work or long hours of busy work. But if you compare it to IM with 60 + hours at the hospital per week, and surgery at 80 +, you have nothing to complain about. My hardest rotation was SCI - one rehab resident, 7 am - 6 pm M-F + rounds saturday and Sunday. We all complained about it endlessly. A few months of the year we had a urology resident with us. The one I had with me found the hours made it like taking a vacation. He would have done an extra month if he could. It's all about perspective.

Also know that it will vary within a program and by attending. I had attendings let me go when I was done for the day, others required me to stay until they left or dismissed me. One got upset when she found me studying outside, as I was not on the ward.

If hours are what you are after, wait until you are done with residency and the amount you get paid varies directly with how many huors you work. Then you decide how much you want to work. Until then, put in as many hours as you can learning, and the best learning takes place at the patient's bedside. Sounds cliche, but it is more true than you can imagine.

+1 👍