By request - things to look for regarding vacation time in a residency program

[exPCM]

I got an email asking about things to look at regarding residency programs:

From the ABP: "Each institution sponsoring a pathology training program should develop individual sick, vacation, parental, and other leave policies for the resident. However, one year of approved training credit toward ABP certification requirements must be 52 weeks in duration, and the resident must document an average of 48 weeks per year of full-time pathology training over the course of the training program. Any additional leave must be made up. Unused vacation and other leave time may not be accumulated to reduce the overall duration of training."

The ABP gives programs tremendous latitude on how they count the 48 weeks per year of training. This leads to some important questions.

1) How much time do you give residents off for fellowship and/or job interviews?
Background: Most programs give 3 wks/yr of vacation (12 weeks total over 4 years) which would leave a total of 4wks off (1 wk/yr) for interviews/relocation. However more malignant programs will not give time off for interviews and insist that residents burn up their vacation time to interview.
2) Do you count time at CME and/or board review courses toward the 48 weeks/yr of pathology training?
Background: Again this varies from program to program. IMHO, it sucks when malignant programs make residents use vacation to take the Osler course.
3) Do you count time at the AP/CP board exam in Tampa toward the 48 weeks/yr of pathology training?
Background: Again this varies from program to program. IMHO, it sucks when malignant programs make residents burn up 3 or 4 days of vacation (including travel time to get to Tampa and then back home) to take the boards.
4) Do you give residents credit for weekends and holidays worked to offset time missed during the week?
Background: The ABP allows a program to count it as a full week of pathology training if a resident works on say Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and is out on Tuesday. However, some programs will not credit this as a full week and will deduct the day out on Tuesday from the residents' vacation time.

All of these issues can lead to significant variation in time off during residency which can be quite important. I have seen some residents from more malignant programs who were forced to burn up almost all their vacation time in order to interview for competitive fellowships.

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[yaah]

Hope you don't mind, I added to the thread title so that it becomes more obvious what your thread is about and so that it can be found in the search function easier. If you object I will remove it.

 

[LADoc00]

Hold it, where is Obamacare Socialist mantra in terms of vacation? 4 weeks is pretty light. Shouldnt it be more like 2-3 months? Ala France, the greatest socialist healthcare system in the Galaxy?

Whats with this pick and choose cafeteria-style Socialism?? No you have to eat the whole meal or none at all, ie- free education, 2 months of paid vacation, 3 mo of maternity and paternity leave, free childcare, a plush pension plan, a reasonably priced cottage that looks like it came right out of Pinocchio's village AND universal healthcare. WTH Barry. Dont let Nancy get all cheap on us.

FORM LETTER TO BE SENT TO THE ABP:
Dear Comrades of the Glorious Revolution,

I understand it is your intent to squeeze as much labor out of the petty bourgeoisie as you can with the 4 weeks of maximum vacation and sick leave in your training cycle.

Let me start by saying Comrade Pelosi has assured the AMA we are indeed part of the grateful proletariat now. As such might I cite the humble People's Paradise of Cuba, where at least 2 months of vacation are mandated and there is NO cap on sick leave. One might imply from this stingy policy the ABP is indeed an organization of capitalist greed attempting to scrap out as much labor from the People's pathologists as you can. That is a weighty crime against the Revolution.

In conclusion, I would ask you come into concordance with the Glorious healthcare pogroms (err programs?) such as Sweden where we would have NO cap on sick/disability leave and at least 8 weeks of paid vacation.

Signed,

humble peasant Pathologist of the Glorious Revolution of the Nancy Pelosi, 2010.

 

[werty]

Hold it, where is Obamacare Socialist mantra in terms of vacation? 4 weeks is pretty light. Shouldnt it be more like 2-3 months? Ala France, the greatest socialist healthcare system in the Galaxy?

Whats with this pick and choose cafeteria-style Socialism?? No you have to eat the whole meal or none at all, ie- free education, 2 months of paid vacation, 3 mo of maternity and paternity leave, free childcare, a plush pension plan, a reasonably priced cottage that looks like it came right out of Pinocchio's village AND universal healthcare. WTH Barry. Dont let Nancy get all cheap on us.

so are you one of those people who went into path so you don't have to deal with patients... because the ignorance you have about healthcare and what people who don't have it go through is off the charts. It's people like you who are giving doctors and america a bad name as a group of people who don't care about their own. Democracy worked and the majority that was voted into office delivered on what they ran their elections on... sounds about as democratic and american as you can get and if you have that big a problem with it maybe you're not quite as righteous and american as you lead on.

 

[LADoc00]

Democracy worked and the majority that was voted into office delivered on what they ran their elections on... .

And these same politicians will be LEAVING Washington very soon....Very soon. Ted "I drowned a chick" Kennedy--->Scott Brown, whahahaha.

but in retort:
I liken you to the Irish that betrayed the Republic and helped the English maintain ruthless control over the island for hundreds of years. Centuries later there will still be pub songs sung about how much you suck.

And in conclusion: Tiocfaidh ár lá

 

[werty]

not much of a real retort... some crap about how an irish song will be song and some BS about how your day will come. It came... and it passed over the last 8 years when the country got f'd up by people who spew the same hatred and ignorance you do. It's over, deal with it... you lost.

When you have a real retort... with an actual arguement attached... i'll be here

 

[LADoc00]

When you and your political buds run out of other people's money to steal, I will be at my house....with Chuck Norris.

You realize you have exactly 2 posts, both on this thread. Your opinion is worth about as much as:

 

[LADoc00]

not much of a real retort... some crap about how an irish song will be song and some BS about how your day will come. It came... and it passed over the last 8 years when the country got f'd up by people who spew the same hatred and ignorance you do.

I can visualize the veins popping out of your head as you typed that. Raw pent up anger and frustration coming out through the verb "spew".

Get it out, get it all out.

 

[wild0ne]

werty, don't waste your time.

The OP brings up good points. However, many students may have already been locked into programs at this point (post-match).

In addition to total time off, also ask how they vacation can be taken. Some programs do not allow you to break up the 3-4 weeks as you wish (ie, must take it in 2 week blocks).

 

[Euchromatin]

FORM LETTER TO BE SENT TO THE ABP:
Dear Comrades of the Glorious Revolution,

I understand it is your intent to squeeze as much labor out of the petty bourgeoisie as you can with the 4 weeks of maximum vacation and sick leave in your training cycle.

Let me start by saying Comrade Pelosi has assured the AMA we are indeed part of the grateful proletariat now. As such might I cite the humble People's Paradise of Cuba, where at least 2 months of vacation are mandated and there is NO cap on sick leave. One might imply from this stingy policy the ABP is indeed an organization of capitalist greed attempting to scrap out as much labor from the People's pathologists as you can. That is a weighty crime against the Revolution.

In conclusion, I would ask you come into concordance with the Glorious healthcare pogroms (err programs?) such as Sweden where we would have NO cap on sick/disability leave and at least 8 weeks of paid vacation.

Signed,

humble peasant Pathologist of the Glorious Revolution of the Nancy Pelosi, 2010.

LADoc00, we may have differing political views and opinions of what should be done with health care, but even I have to admit your democrats = pinko commies mocking letter was pretty damned funny. And I really would like more vacation time.

More paid vacations for all! Viva la Revolucion!

 

[yaah]

Let's please try to keep political discourse out of every thread please - I may have to start moving off-topic posts soon.

 

[LADoc00]

Let's please try to keep political discourse out of every thread please - I may have to start moving off-topic posts soon.

Yaah I apologize. Im going to refrain from posting for a good while. This isnt doing much aside from me getting all worked up...I think Ive transmitted as much wisdom to the next generation as I can.

see you guys in 2013 when bundling rolls out.