Didactics

[Danica]

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One of the programs where I'm scheduled to interview has a half day (1/2) for didactics.

Isn't that rather limited?
Don't most programs have a full day for didactics?

Program info mentions didactics several times, but never protected didactics. Isn't didactic time supposed to be protected and call free?

My concern is: If didactics is restricted to 1/2 day and you're also taking calls, that won't give you much chance to benefit from any presentations.

Am I being unduly paranoid?

 

[Chrismander]

One of the programs where I'm scheduled to interview has a half day (1/2) for didactics.

Isn't that rather limited?
Don't most programs have a full day for didactics?

Program info mentions didactics several times, but never protected didactics. Isn't didactic time supposed to be protected and call free?

My concern is: If didactics is restricted to 1/2 day and you're also taking calls, that won't give you much chance to benefit from any presentations.

Am I being unduly paranoid?

So far, 5/6 of the places i've interviewed had half day didactics (or less, in one case!) and 1/6 had full-day. Don't know if that is representative or not.

You're right that protected-time is a big issue. Definitely ask whether the time is protected, and ask for details about how the protection is maintained. I.e., does someone physically take the beeper, or are nurses just supposed to not page you (at one place, they said the nurses often did anyway). Is the work just piling up and you'll have to go back afterward and stay late to catch up, or is an attending/PA/NP taking the patients who come in during that day, and handling all the floor stuff?

These are important issues, and the best people to really get the dirt from are the residents--they can tell you what it's really like, how many of the presentations they had to miss/be interrupted from due to call duties, and how much value the institution places on didactics, and making sure you can go to them.