Do ophthalmology residents work holidays?
Started by Merlin0082
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Usually holidays if they fall on a weekday give you a day off in clinic. However you will take call on holidays. Most likely holiday calls will be divided up fairly.
Call and weekends are entirely program dependent. Some programs are front heavy meaning 1st year takes most primary call and then things slow down as you move to 2nd and 3rd year.
Call frequency and load depends on:
1) number of residents in your program or year
2) number of hospitals your program covers for call (how many places you guys are split between)
3) which residents take primary call ... 1st only or 1st and 2nd year
Second this. Residents get most major holidays off, but not all minor holidays. I worked this Columbus Day for example. Depends on the program. The hospital always has coverage so residents will split call for major holidays.
Weekend loads vary based on the type of program and volume. Large academic centers receive lots of transfers from smaller community hospitals so weekends tend to be very busy. There will be a mix of service consults, inpatient follow ups, outside transfers and ER walkins. Also, home call doesn't count towards ACGME limits. If you take 24 hour call on a Sunday and are also the consult resident on Monday you end up covering the pager for 36 hours straight.
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Of course we do. This is Ophthalmology, not Dermatology. 😎
I think most programs split major holidays. A lot of places are front stacked so you take most holiday call as a first year. As noted above call load depends heavily on location. Big academic centers seem to receive all open globes and canalicular lacs from a large catchment area of comprehensive Ophthalmologists who no longer do those surgeries. At least that's the feeling that I get when I get the call from an outside Ophthalmologist or ER doc for a transfer. "Hey, this is Dr. X at Y, got a guy that I think has an open globe. Shallow A/C with a hyphema...." is not an uncommon call to get from a comprehensive doc in a small town an hour and a half away.
And then one day I suppose many of us will be those comprehensive Ophthalmologists paying it back. Seems to be the way it happens from what I can tell.
I think most programs split major holidays. A lot of places are front stacked so you take most holiday call as a first year. As noted above call load depends heavily on location. Big academic centers seem to receive all open globes and canalicular lacs from a large catchment area of comprehensive Ophthalmologists who no longer do those surgeries. At least that's the feeling that I get when I get the call from an outside Ophthalmologist or ER doc for a transfer. "Hey, this is Dr. X at Y, got a guy that I think has an open globe. Shallow A/C with a hyphema...." is not an uncommon call to get from a comprehensive doc in a small town an hour and a half away.
And then one day I suppose many of us will be those comprehensive Ophthalmologists paying it back. Seems to be the way it happens from what I can tell.
