Cardio Vascular Thoracic Surgeon?

[worldpeace0]

How long does it take, from the first year of medical school onwards in order to become one?

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How long does it take from medical school and onwards to become a regular medical doctor ( family doctor)

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Is it true you have no life in medical school. I love martial arts and dedicate five hours a day to it, then I do homework too, ect....Would I still be able to do it?

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After getting these jobs, are you on call so much? Or do doctors work regular 8/9 hour days?

Thanks for answering the questions and sorry I posted so many at once. Once again, thank you.

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[Blade28]

For information on Cardiothoracic Surgery, read my FAQ.

For basic info on medical school, check out the helpful stickies and FAQs in the Pre-Allopathic and Allopathic forums.

 

[Castro Viejo]

I've never read Blade's FAQ, but I'm sure it's an excellent reference and will answer all your questions. I just had to throw in my perspective on this because I want to ensure that you understand what's expected of you in this noblest of all professions.

Is it true you have no life in medical school. I love martial arts and dedicate five hours a day to it, then I do homework too, ect....Would I still be able to do it?

Five hours a day? Try maybe an hour tops and only once or twice a week. Once you hit medical school, medicine and being a physician will pretty much be the only thing in your life. There will be time to do things you enjoy on occasion, but your responsibility is to your patients and, if you've got one, a family.

And then you hit surgical residency and, well, you can just about forget a lot of personal committments like "being there" on holidays, celebrating things like Flag Day, your own birthday, anniversaries, and sometimes, even funerals. I've spent the last three birthdays of mine in the hospital on call, usually with my hand in someone's belly either retracting for my attending or now, retracting for my junior. I've missed two years' worth of Valentine's Day dinner plans because of work. I've missed my mom's birthday, my dad's birthday, my brother's birthday, my grandparent's funeral... I've missed Flag Day, Arbor Day, Groundhog's Day, Brooklyn/Queens Day... Annivesaries? Well, maybe it wasn't so bad to miss those since I usually forgot to buy something.

Don't even get me started on Cardiothoracic Surgery residency...

After getting these jobs, are you on call so much? Or do doctors work regular 8/9 hour days?

Physicians, surgeons or not, are responsible to their patients at all hours of the day and night. Real doctors don't "clock in" and "clock out." Nurses do. We go home when the work is done and our patients are tidy enough that they won't die while we're at home trying to have a life (that is, so long as we're not on call).

Hope I haven't scared you.

 

[The Bad]

I've spent the last three birthdays of mine in the hospital on call, usually with my hand in someone's belly either retracting for my attending or now, retracting for my junior. I've missed two years' worth of Valentine's Day dinner plans because of work. I've missed my mom's birthday, my dad's birthday, my brother's birthday, my grandparent's funeral... I've missed Flag Day, Arbor Day, Groundhog's Day, Brooklyn/Queens Day... Annivesaries?

Solid work, Dr. Viejo. While non-surgeons will look back fondly on Valentine's Days, birthdays, anniversaries and other memories shared with family and friends that you missed out on, you will always have memories of operating on anonymous people who couldn't care any less of you and who'd sue you at the drop of a hat if they could. It was worth it.

Physicians, surgeons or not, are responsible to their patients at all hours of the day and night. Real doctors don't "clock in" and "clock out." Nurse do.

Nurses? There's an entire branch of medicine whose claim to fame is being able to "clock in" and "clock out". Ironically, they're kinda sensitive about it if you bring it up.

 

[Blake]

Solid work, Dr. Viejo. While non-surgeons will look back fondly on Valentine's Days, birthdays, anniversaries and other memories shared with family and friends that you missed out on, you will always have memories of operating on anonymous people who couldn't care any less of you and who'd sue you at the drop of a hat if they could. It was worth it.

Misterioso capable of sarcasm?

 

[smq123]

And then you hit surgical residency and, well, you can just about forget a lot of personal committments like "being there" on holidays, celebrating things like Flag Day, your own birthday, anniversaries, and sometimes, even funerals. I've spent the last three birthdays of mine in the hospital on call, usually with my hand in someone's belly either retracting for my attending or now, retracting for my junior. I've missed two years' worth of Valentine's Day dinner plans because of work. I've missed my mom's birthday, my dad's birthday, my brother's birthday, my grandparent's funeral... I've missed Flag Day, Arbor Day, Groundhog's Day, Brooklyn/Queens Day... Annivesaries? Well, maybe it wasn't so bad to miss those since I usually forgot to buy something.

One of the chiefs on surgery had a really bad tooth, but never had time to go to the dentist - plus he was afraid that he'd be paged about a patient while sitting helplessly in the dentist chair. So one day, after the case was over, he went down to OMFS, and asked one of the OMFS residents to pull the tooth for him. Half an hour later (with only Motrin for pain control - obviously, no narcs), he was back in the SICU helping the intern put in a central line. He didn't tell anyone where he went - but people started asking him "Hey, why is the left side of your face all puffy?"

The attendings didn't think that this was weird - and only thought it was notable in a "hey, good job - way to be dedicated!" sort of way. This congratulatory reaction from the attendings and the other residents scared away a LOT of my classmates from surgery.

 

[Castro Viejo]

Solid work, Dr. Viejo. While non-surgeons will look back fondly on Valentine's Days, birthdays, anniversaries and other memories shared with family and friends that you missed out on, you will always have memories of operating on anonymous people who couldn't care any less of you and who'd sue you at the drop of a hat if they could. It was worth it.

Though you're banned, you can still read this.

Non-surgeons still often have to give up on personal committments to make time for work. It's just a fact of being a physician that you can't escape.

 

[worldpeace0]

umm how am i banned

 

[Winged Scapula]

umm how am i banned

Castro was referring to another user ("The Bad" in this thread, or misterioso previously)...see how he quoted The Bad in his post above?