Bottle to throttle rule at your school

[Gheorgia]

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Quick question. Does your school have a bottle to throttle rule (like you're not supposed to consume alcohol for 12 hours) before you show up for rounds even if you have a glass of wine or a beer with friends the night before. Obviously I have no plans on being drunk - but what if you have rounds at say 7 the next morning and there is some sort of social event at 8 the night before. Is there a specific limit to whether or not you can consume alcohol the night before?

 

[link2swim06]

Quick question. Does your school have a bottle to throttle rule (like you're not supposed to consume alcohol for 12 hours) before you show up for rounds even if you have a glass of wine or a beer with friends the night before. Obviously I have no plans on being drunk - but what if you have rounds at say 7 the next morning and there is some sort of social event at 8 the night before. Is there a specific limit to whether or not you can consume alcohol the night before?

No hard rule...but I imagine any med student who showed up remotely intoxicated would either be asked to go home and/or destroyed on the professional part of your evaluation.

Obviously the time to sober up will vary by person. Personally I am a 6'5'', 230lb young guy...even with 3-4 drinks the night before, I'd be confident to have no alcohol left in my system by 7am. For someone on the opposite end of the body type/tolerance spectrum as me, you might not want to have 4 drinks 12 hours before rounds.

 

[neusu]

You're an adult. If you don't have the judgement to know your limit so it doesn't impact your performance you shouldn't be considering consuming alcoholic beverages prior to going to work/school.

 

[duckie99]

You're an adult. If you don't have the judgement to know your limit so it doesn't impact your performance you shouldn't be considering consuming alcoholic beverages prior to going to work/school.

exactly. A couple beers will be out of your system by morning.

Though I would question the OP's priorities going out to a social event the night before having to be ready for rounds at 7 am.

 

[dantt]

Though I would question the OP's priorities going out to a social event the night before having to be ready for rounds at 7 am.

why not?👍

 

[duckie99]

why not?👍

...uh because you have to wake up early (5:30 maybe), pre-round, and then be ready to present at 7? I don't know what year you are but it takes a lot of energy to do that well and a good night sleep is extremely important. Also, during rotations you likely are/should be studying at night. I'd say it's ok if you have the next day off but if you gotta be ready to go at 7 then no way.

 

[OveractiveBrain]

Quick question. Does your school have a bottle to throttle rule (like you're not supposed to consume alcohol for 12 hours) before you show up for rounds even if you have a glass of wine or a beer with friends the night before. Obviously I have no plans on being drunk - but what if you have rounds at say 7 the next morning and there is some sort of social event at 8 the night before. Is there a specific limit to whether or not you can consume alcohol the night before?

If you get to know a nurse or a resident well, ask them to give you an IV of normal saline (1 liter), 2L Nasal Canula for a 30 minutes, and bounce right back. If you are hung as **** over, we can write you for some prednisone.

The professionalism part of your grade (I mean soul) should say "dont show up hung over or drunk... especially drunk," but let's be real. Physicians go out to dinner. Physicians go out to social events. Physicians go to pharm rep dinners. Physicians (especially residents) drink / do whatever is legally acceptable in the current state they are residing. So long as you use tact and decent judgment, you'll be ok. If you are at a place that would actually test a student... you need to transfer (obvious deficiencies in normal functioning not withstanding; if you are high on coke and on my service, I'll get you kicked out of medical school... I mean, into rehabilitation).

To specifically answer your question, there was no written rule, and certainly is not one in residency.

 

[OveractiveBrain]

...uh because you have to wake up early (5:30 maybe), pre-round, and then be ready to present at 7? I don't know what year you are but it takes a lot of energy to do that well and a good night sleep is extremely important. Also, during rotations you likely are/should be studying at night. I'd say it's ok if you have the next day off but if you gotta be ready to go at 7 then no way.

Like you never went out on a date, to a pharm rep dinner, drinks with friends, socialized, ONCE in ALL of third year? Hell, I went to a strip club with one of my (male) Ob residents. He was a sleezeball, and I prefer not to pay to see titties, but... case in point, people are people. There needs to be a balance between work and play. In our profession, its mostly work (95%, I'd say) so play is certainly ok. And, keeping my anonyminity on the interwebz, I sure have **** have showed up to my R2 position as a team leader hung over, apologized for my behavior, and got through the day. The pinacle of professionalism? No. But id rather be unprofessional and sane than professional and dysthymic, know what I mean?

 

[KnuxNole]

exactly. A couple beers will be out of your system by morning.

Though I would question the OP's priorities going out to a social event the night before having to be ready for rounds at 7 am.

I went out to a happy hour on weekdays on some rotations(yes, even on surgery, although to be fair, it was an early night). Then again, it's not too late at night, only a few drinks, and like mentioned, knowing your limits.

And if you do readings during the day(of course this always cant happen), it's possible to relax, and make time for a little night out 🙂

 

[dr zaius]

exactly. A couple beers will be out of your system by morning.

Though I would question the OP's priorities going out to a social event the night before having to be ready for rounds at 7 am.

What's wrong with having a beer or glass of wine with dinner? Are you advocating that medical students should sit at home in deep meditation every work night?

Also, best OP avatar/thread combo. 5/5.

 

[TarHeelEMT]

exactly. A couple beers will be out of your system by morning.

Though I would question the OP's priorities going out to a social event the night before having to be ready for rounds at 7 am.

Yes, god forbid he drink a couple beers watching Thursday night football with his friends.

 

[evilbooyaa]

If this was your first post OP, I'd be sure you were trolling with your post and your avatar. Solid lol from my end.

Don't show up drunk. If you're hung-over and show up, just say that you didn't get a lot of sleep (due to excessive amounts of studying, obviously) and get a caffeine IV going to perk you back up.

Besides that, it's your life. Get completely wasted if you want. As long as you're ready to round whenever, it's all good.

If there was a hospital that actually had a rule and did a breathalyzer test prior to 7AM rounds, 1) I would probably pass because if I go out during the week I call it an early night and don't drink heavily and 2) I would get a solid laugh and make sure I never, ever applied for a residency there. As a med student, we get enough days off that I can drink without having to worry about going to work the next day. As a resident, I don't think I will have that luxury.

 

[K31]

No hard and fast rule at my school that I'm aware of. My personal rule is 8 hours (although I'm not going out and getting blitzed when I have to be in the hospital the next day--I'm too old for that ****).

 

[dantt]

...uh because you have to wake up early (5:30 maybe), pre-round, and then be ready to present at 7? I don't know what year you are but it takes a lot of energy to do that well and a good night sleep is extremely important. Also, during rotations you likely are/should be studying at night. I'd say it's ok if you have the next day off but if you gotta be ready to go at 7 then no way.

I've gone out regularly with attendings and residents with rounds the next day at 7am. Heck, we might even be finishing a long call or shift. I know people who were partying just 3 hours prior. Banana bags are amazing thing.

 

[Gheorgia]

exactly. A couple beers will be out of your system by morning.

Though I would question the OP's priorities going out to a social event the night before having to be ready for rounds at 7 am.

This has been discussed to death already - but as the other posters pointed out unless you're on an unusally laid back service (with 2-3 days off per week) or one where the residents let you go home early you're never more than 12 hours from being off and seeing patients again the next day. Quite frankly part of the clinical experience is to learn how to have a life while working 80 hrs a week and being on call. And I think it's important to go and find time to enjoy yourself - as long as you're not violating any hard and fast rules at your institution or any AGME policy.

 

[KnuxNole]

Maybe my experience is different, but the only rotation where I've never had more than 12 hours from being off is surgery. For other rotations, not including calls I would be home no later than 5. Which gives ample time to do something fun for the night, come home at 10-12, and wake up the next day and go to the rotation.

 

[DocHawk117]

...uh because you have to wake up early (5:30 maybe), pre-round, and then be ready to present at 7? I don't know what year you are but it takes a lot of energy to do that well and a good night sleep is extremely important. Also, during rotations you likely are/should be studying at night. I'd say it's ok if you have the next day off but if you gotta be ready to go at 7 then no way.

I have a few friends that stay out until 2-3am and still make it to the hospital by 5:30... they don't drink when they go out, but STILL... idk how they do it.. at the same time, shouldn't we be studying all the time? yes... but is having fun and enjoying life equally, if not more so, important? absolutely.

i've never heard of this rule, but i think it's pretty stupid that it is in place. hopefully we are "adult" and "professional" enough to not stroll into rounds hungover/still drunk. I wanted to comment though, because i've never heard the phrase "bottle to throttle" and i love it 👍

 

[DocHawk117]

Like you never went out on a date, to a pharm rep dinner, drinks with friends, socialized, ONCE in ALL of third year? Hell, I went to a strip club with one of my (male) Ob residents. He was a sleezeball, and I prefer not to pay to see titties, but... case in point, people are people. There needs to be a balance between work and play. In our profession, its mostly work (95%, I'd say) so play is certainly ok. And, keeping my anonyminity on the interwebz, I sure have **** have showed up to my R2 position as a team leader hung over, apologized for my behavior, and got through the day. The pinacle of professionalism? No. But id rather be unprofessional and sane than professional and dysthymic, know what I mean?

i wish i would have finished reading responses.
1. this made me laugh after a long day
2. i couldn't have said it better 👍

 

[link2swim06]

I have a few friends that stay out until 2-3am and still make it to the hospital by 5:30... they don't drink when they go out, but STILL... idk how they do it.. at the same time, shouldn't we be studying all the time? yes... but is having fun and enjoying life equally, if not more so, important? absolutely.

i've never heard of this rule, but i think it's pretty stupid that it is in place. hopefully we are "adult" and "professional" enough to not stroll into rounds hungover/still drunk. I wanted to comment though, because i've never heard the phrase "bottle to throttle" and i love it 👍

Its a term/rule for pilots. Generally if you have drank anything in the past 8-12 hrs, you can't fly.

 

[Gheorgia]

i've never heard of this rule, but i think it's pretty stupid that it is in place. hopefully we are "adult" and "professional" enough to not stroll into rounds hungover/still drunk. I wanted to comment though, because i've never heard the phrase "bottle to throttle" and i love it 👍

Yes, it's a pilot's term from when they have their last drink to when they are taking off - I heard it from one of the residents who was joking about one of the medical students who always called in sick when they had rounds on Saturday morning.