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The 2026-2027 DO School Specific Threads are now available in the School Specific Discussions forum. The 2025-2026 discussions are now available in the prior year discussions forum.
Best hours
Started by the prodogy
Rads, Derm, Anes, IM/FM, to name a few.
Again, just get into medical school first ....
EM as well. As an EM doc told me, "I punch out and the rest of the world can go to hell..." hahaha, I LOVE IT!!
You're right, EM too.
"..and the rest of the world can go to hell." i love it. that is hilarious. reminds me of this one particularly grouchy ER doc i worked with and he said of one of the patients "hell, what he is complaining about. i am sicker than that son of a b..... and i am not complaining."
Those that consider surgeons to be a$$holes should spend a day with an EM doctor, now THEY are complete a$$holes ....
you can add PM&R and Radiation Oncology to that list. Possibly Opthalmology also.
Emergency Medicine for sure. You work 12 hour shifts, something like 7am-7pm, for 4 days a week and have an average salary of around 180-200k. Every single week you get at least 3 days off. 12 hour shifts sounds long but you get used to it, and if your hospital is busy it goes by fast. Other than that, I would think anything relating to a private practice is pretty family friendly because you set your own schedule, but medical liability is a much greater risk.
We disagree about IM and FM having good hours. Most internists work long and unpredictable hours. FM is more variable, but most work pretty long hours as well with some unpredictability (unless you run a 100% ambulatory practice).
I just found out that rheumatology has great hours too and it is largely an outpatient specialty with very few emergencies. 👍
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I guess you don't live in a southern state not including FL.
My mother worked in EM for a number of years, and the shifts that she worked were 24 hours on and 48 hours off. I guess it depends on where you end up really, but either way, you're still looking at 3-4 days off per week (Some of which you'll be using to try and recoup from a 12 or 24 hour shift.)
The ER thing totally depends on where you live.
I worked in an ER for 2 years, and I prefer the big hospital with 9 hour shifts. It also depends on salary vs. patient reimbursement.
I knew a young doc, who saw 40 pts/night ( a lot) in a 9 hour shift, and only worked 10 shifts per month!
12 hr shifts didn't do it for me, too boring!
I worked in an ER for 2 years, and I prefer the big hospital with 9 hour shifts. It also depends on salary vs. patient reimbursement.
I knew a young doc, who saw 40 pts/night ( a lot) in a 9 hour shift, and only worked 10 shifts per month!
12 hr shifts didn't do it for me, too boring!
Again, I'll say it...
Group practice!!! You share patient load and you have on-off hours. While it is not guaranteed to be 9-5, it is still likely that you will not work ridic hours lal the time... you also share call with the other docs in your group from what I learned in my experience shadowing two pediatricians...
The ED I work at has 8 hour shifts for the docs-very nice. Also, pathology is supposed to have great hours.
Don't forget, working part-time is also an option.
