Best time to take Vacation?

[wipedown]

I am about to start my internship year. All else equal (special dates like weddings, family issues), when would be the best time to take vacation (considering the "intern blues", fatigue, weather, etc.)?

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[NinerNiner999]

January.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

January.

Go for February--looking forward to the vacation will get you through January, and then when you come back you'll have less time left ahead of you!

 

[danielmd06]

New Year's.

Otherwise sometime in January or February as the posters above suggested. I'd personally go for January.

They are hard months and you are deep into the intern year...but still far from the end.

 

[jennyboo]

I am about to start my internship year. All else equal (special dates like weddings, family issues), when would be the best time to take vacation (considering the "intern blues", fatigue, weather, etc.)?

It doesn't really matter when you take it. The three things I'd avoid are:

1) Taking ALL of your year's vacation during the first month -- rare that they'd let anyone do it unless absolutely necessary, i.e. pregnant and due date is in July,

2) Taking ALL of your year's vacation during the last month -- too little break throughout the year, and again I wouldn't do it unless absolutely necessary, i.e. pregnant and due date is in June,

3) Taking vacation too early, such as in July or August before you can really appreciate it!

Months when you are more tired are, as above, January and February. You can take vacation at that time. Or, I took mine in March and whew, I was happy to celebrate finishing February by then!

Take your vacation any time, otherwise.

 

[typhoonegator]

I always thought it was nice to space everything into "trimesters" of sorts, but putting a vacation in the october area, and another in the march/april area. That way you always have something to look forward to. Also, if your program gives a few days for one of the holidays, you get that in the middle.

 

[NinerNiner999]

If you take February, you will have three less days of vacation (2 if it is a leap year). January vacation can give you 36 days off in a row if your program gives you five days off over new years...

 

[SexPanther]

I get 2 weeks of official vacation time with a 3rd week given to me for X-mas/New Year's which the program doesn't tell us about (or so I've been told). I have to take vacation a week at a time.

So what would you recommend? A week in late October and late May/early June to go along with the Dec/Jan week? Or maybe saving my 2 weeks for 2008 which means along 6 months with no break?

Appreciate the input.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I recommend dividing the year fairly equally.

If you get 3 weeks, I would take one in September, one in Dec/Jan and one in March/April.

You could wait until December to take your first one (the one that you unofficially get) if you have enough steam...many find out that they are really burnt out by then, so if you can make it until then, you could use your other two weeks like in March and May.

I usually tried for September, we got 4 days in December (which didn't count toward vacation), February and May.

 

[NeuroDocDO]

my program give us 2 two weeks blocks, but we can't break up the 2 weeks blocks into 1 week blocks, which kinda sucks. Since im a prelim and have to relocate for my advanced position, i have to use one of those 2 weeks blocks in the last month of my internship so i can move and go to my orientation. I am also getting married in early june 08 so i have to take the remaining 2 weeks in early june. So pretty much i have to work all the way through to may. i do however have some light elective rotations throughout the year, but still it's gonna be a very tough year.

 

[radonc]

at a lot of places, you are guaranteed 3-5 days around thanksgiving, xmas or new years. so, if you take a 1-2 week block of vacation during those times, you may effectively lose out on 3-5 days that you would have gotten anyways...

taking something in october and then in march is probably a good idea.

however, if you have 'easy rotations' in the fall, you may want to schedule vacation in the spring (or vice-versa).