do oral surgery residents really work 16 hours a day with no vacations?

[frd88]

I keep hearing that residents work 80-100 hours a week with no vacations. So that is tha same as 16 hours a day for 5-6 days a week of straight work. Is this a huge exageration or are oral surgery residents just freaks of nature? I feel like I put myself on a pretty rigorous schedule, and I rarely ever work more than 14 hours a day. I feel like any normal person would burn out after 2 months at most of 80-100 hours a week, 4 years of it is ridiculous. I feel like I work more than most other d1s and I only put in about 40-50 solid work hours for school in per week. Can any residents share their typical "clocked in" hours per day or per week? I'm very interested in oral surgery, but I am also very aware of how much work a 16 hour day is and if thats the norm for omfs residents I'm not so sure id be up for that.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[alxspider]

I keep hearing that residents work 80-100 hours a week with no vacations. So that is tha same as 16 hours a day for 5-6 days a week of straight work. Is this a huge exageration or are oral surgery residents just freaks of nature? I feel like I put myself on a pretty rigorous schedule, and I rarely ever work more than 14 hours a day. I feel like any normal person would burn out after 2 months at most of 80-100 hours a week, 4 years of it is ridiculous. I feel like I work more than most other d1s and I only put in about 40-50 solid work hours for school in per week. Can any residents share their typical "clocked in" hours per day or per week? I'm very interested in oral surgery, but I am also very aware of how much work a 16 hour day is and if thats the norm for omfs residents I'm not so sure id be up for that.

Heard of investment banking? They put in 80-100 hours a week. I think most top students (that are not geniuses) prob put in about that much time in school as well.

 

[DMDWTF]

Sometimes they work that much. Other times they are in medical school. Or on several months of anesthesia rotation. Or no longer interns.

 

[UncUndergrad1]

No way in hell did I put 80-100 hours in during any given week of dental school. If anyone else does, they're doing it wrong.
Maybe came close on externships.


To the OP, do an externship if you're interested in OMFS.

 

[alxspider]

No way in hell did I put 80-100 hours in during any given week of dental school. If anyone else does, they're doing it wrong.
Maybe came close on externships.


To the OP, do an externship if you're interested in OMFS.

Are you kidding? Class time, study time for multiple exams, and lab work during busy weeks is easily 80+ hours.

 

[KillaCam]

Are you kidding? Class time, study time for multiple exams, and lab work during busy weeks is easily 80+ hours.

Totally agree with UNC on this man. I have not spent anything near 80 hours working during ANY week, including my time doing school and studying for the NBME simultaneously.

 

[frd88]

That would be like being in class or studying from 8am to midnight mon-fri with the ocxasional sat

 

[GTFOOMICT]

The med school years vary from near zero hrs a week to 60 hrs.

The resident years range from 40-100.

Depends on the rotation. I am on a med school month right now and working much less hrs but I am exhausted from the boredom and sitting around.

 

[UncUndergrad1]

Are you kidding? Class time, study time for multiple exams, and lab work during busy weeks is easily 80+ hours.

I had 9 exams in 1 week for our ****tiest week in the 3rd year. Still had clinic going on. Maybe I put in 60 hours that week?

Like I said, if you're putting those hours in during d school, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Gentledental1]

I keep hearing that residents work 80-100 hours a week with no vacations. So that is tha same as 16 hours a day for 5-6 days a week of straight work. Is this a huge exageration or are oral surgery residents just freaks of nature? I feel like I put myself on a pretty rigorous schedule, and I rarely ever work more than 14 hours a day. I feel like any normal person would burn out after 2 months at most of 80-100 hours a week, 4 years of it is ridiculous. I feel like I work more than most other d1s and I only put in about 40-50 solid work hours for school in per week. Can any residents share their typical "clocked in" hours per day or per week? I'm very interested in oral surgery, but I am also very aware of how much work a 16 hour day is and if thats the norm for omfs residents I'm not so sure id be up for that.

The short answer is yes. I'm a resident at a very rigorous program. I've heard not all programs work you this much, but most do. The reason you feel like any normal person would burn out on that schedule is because you haven't been doing it long enough. You'll be much more battle hardened by the time you're ready to graduate with a doctorate degree. Right now its hard for you to study things because you don't see the big picture yet. Its infinitely harder to work at something when you don't understand why you're learning it. By the end your perspective is so different on learning about your career that it doesn't seem like work to have to go to a weekend course on something you're interested in (or in the case of OMFS work like a dog in order to do awesome procedures). But don't listen to anyone who says there are "easy" years in your training. Med school years seem easy to us because we've gone through hell during our intern year. But make no mistake, it is still a very hard thing to do, much harder then anything you're doing now. I mean, ****, you don't know what you're made of as a dental student until you've taken step 1. And when you're an upper level resident, the hours get slightly shorter since you have interns covering your call, but while they're working the ED into the late hours of the night, the chiefs are preparing for surgeries they have going the next day...model surgery, reading (a lot of reading), case presentations, morbidity/mortality reports...theres a lot that goes into making a big case go smoothly in the OR, from the pre-op to the PACU, its a task, and as an upper level you're the captain of the ship. But remember, its all done sequentially, baby steps. Theres no way a D1 could handle a day in the life of an OMFS resident (lack of knowledge aside) because you haven't gone through year after year of grueling labor. Trust me, after a few years your perspective will change. You do a few externships, that really gives you a feel for it. No matter what though, July of your intern year is a massive shock to your system. Simply put, no dental student or dental specialist outside of OMFS has ever worked that hard, or ever will, its unnecessary. Becoming an oral surgeon isn't about enjoying pulling teeth. Its about having a passion to push yourself to the highest possible level of education you can until your spouse finally says enough. Its about learning how to reconstruct faces, manage truly medically compromised patients, learning general anesthesia, get a medical degree on the side, be a busy consulting service to the emergency department, manage life threatening infections...there is no easy way, theres no 40-60 hour a week option. You live and breath surgery, everything else comes second. Once you've decided that it doesn't matter what it takes in order to have the privilege to operate on someone, it doesn't seem hard anymore.

 

[Ferneezy]

The short answer is yes. I'm a resident at a very rigorous program. I've heard not all programs work you this much, but most do. The reason you feel like any normal person would burn out on that schedule is because you haven't been doing it long enough. You'll be much more battle hardened by the time you're ready to graduate with a doctorate degree. Right now its hard for you to study things because you don't see the big picture yet. Its infinitely harder to work at something when you don't understand why you're learning it. By the end your perspective is so different on learning about your career that it doesn't seem like work to have to go to a weekend course on something you're interested in (or in the case of OMFS work like a dog in order to do awesome procedures). But don't listen to anyone who says there are "easy" years in your training. Med school years seem easy to us because we've gone through hell during our intern year. But make no mistake, it is still a very hard thing to do, much harder then anything you're doing now. I mean, ****, you don't know what you're made of as a dental student until you've taken step 1. And when you're an upper level resident, the hours get slightly shorter since you have interns covering your call, but while they're working the ED into the late hours of the night, the chiefs are preparing for surgeries they have going the next day...model surgery, reading (a lot of reading), case presentations, morbidity/mortality reports...theres a lot that goes into making a big case go smoothly in the OR, from the pre-op to the PACU, its a task, and as an upper level you're the captain of the ship. But remember, its all done sequentially, baby steps. Theres no way a D1 could handle a day in the life of an OMFS resident (lack of knowledge aside) because you haven't gone through year after year of grueling labor. Trust me, after a few years your perspective will change. You do a few externships, that really gives you a feel for it. No matter what though, July of your intern year is a massive shock to your system. Simply put, no dental student or dental specialist outside of OMFS has ever worked that hard, or ever will, its unnecessary. Becoming an oral surgeon isn't about enjoying pulling teeth. Its about having a passion to push yourself to the highest possible level of education you can until your spouse finally says enough. Its about learning how to reconstruct faces, manage truly medically compromised patients, learning general anesthesia, get a medical degree on the side, be a busy consulting service to the emergency department, manage life threatening infections...there is no easy way, theres no 40-60 hour a week option. You live and breath surgery, everything else comes second. Once you've decided that it doesn't matter what it takes in order to have the privilege to operate on someone, it doesn't seem hard anymore.

should we offer our condolences?

 

[UCSFx2017]

The short answer is yes. I'm a resident at a very rigorous program. I've heard not all programs work you this much, but most do. The reason you feel like any normal person would burn out on that schedule is because you haven't been doing it long enough. You'll be much more battle hardened by the time you're ready to graduate with a doctorate degree. Right now its hard for you to study things because you don't see the big picture yet. Its infinitely harder to work at something when you don't understand why you're learning it. By the end your perspective is so different on learning about your career that it doesn't seem like work to have to go to a weekend course on something you're interested in (or in the case of OMFS work like a dog in order to do awesome procedures). But don't listen to anyone who says there are "easy" years in your training. Med school years seem easy to us because we've gone through hell during our intern year. But make no mistake, it is still a very hard thing to do, much harder then anything you're doing now. I mean, ****, you don't know what you're made of as a dental student until you've taken step 1. And when you're an upper level resident, the hours get slightly shorter since you have interns covering your call, but while they're working the ED into the late hours of the night, the chiefs are preparing for surgeries they have going the next day...model surgery, reading (a lot of reading), case presentations, morbidity/mortality reports...theres a lot that goes into making a big case go smoothly in the OR, from the pre-op to the PACU, its a task, and as an upper level you're the captain of the ship. But remember, its all done sequentially, baby steps. Theres no way a D1 could handle a day in the life of an OMFS resident (lack of knowledge aside) because you haven't gone through year after year of grueling labor. Trust me, after a few years your perspective will change. You do a few externships, that really gives you a feel for it. No matter what though, July of your intern year is a massive shock to your system. Simply put, no dental student or dental specialist outside of OMFS has ever worked that hard, or ever will, its unnecessary. Becoming an oral surgeon isn't about enjoying pulling teeth. Its about having a passion to push yourself to the highest possible level of education you can until your spouse finally says enough. Its about learning how to reconstruct faces, manage truly medically compromised patients, learning general anesthesia, get a medical degree on the side, be a busy consulting service to the emergency department, manage life threatening infections...there is no easy way, theres no 40-60 hour a week option. You live and breath surgery, everything else comes second. Once you've decided that it doesn't matter what it takes in order to have the privilege to operate on someone, it doesn't seem hard anymore.

http://career.ucsf.edu/sites/career.ucsf.edu/files/PDF/Dentistryresidencyoralsurgery.pdf

"The work schedule is highly demanding, ~17 hours a day with extra work after-hours, plus research."

"According to panelists, an OS residency applicant should like the "surgical way of life" and have a clear idea of what he
or she can bring to the field. Ideal candidates should be organized, fastidious, intrinsically motivated, independent
thinkers, team players, and demonstrate humility, initiative, teamwork, and vision. Applicants should know where they
want to be in 10 and 20 years. Panelists shared that residents must give 110%, should "desire work" and be able to "get
the job done—no excuses." Applicants to UCSF's OS residency program had an average National Board Dental
Examination Part I score of 97; candidates are competitive over 93, and will definitely be interviewed with 98-99.
Candidates must also have excelled in all dental school classes, including clinical experiences. According to panelists,
interviewers typically decide whether or not to accept an applicant within the first 30-60 seconds of an interview;
panelists recommended that applicants practice interview skills by taping themselves answering questions and listening to
the answers."

 

[Bereno]

http://career.ucsf.edu/sites/career.ucsf.edu/files/PDF/Dentistryresidencyoralsurgery.pdf

"The work schedule is highly demanding, ~17 hours a day with extra work after-hours, plus research."

"According to panelists, an OS residency applicant should like the “surgical way of life” and have a clear idea of what he
or she can bring to the field. Ideal candidates should be organized, fastidious, intrinsically motivated, independent
thinkers, team players, and demonstrate humility, initiative, teamwork, and vision. Applicants should know where they
want to be in 10 and 20 years. Panelists shared that residents must give 110%, should “desire work” and be able to “get
the job done—no excuses.” Applicants to UCSF’s OS residency program had an average National Board Dental
Examination Part I score of 97; candidates are competitive over 93, and will definitely be interviewed with 98-99.
Candidates must also have excelled in all dental school classes, including clinical experiences. According to panelists,
interviewers typically decide whether or not to accept an applicant within the first 30-60 seconds of an interview;
panelists recommended that applicants practice interview skills by taping themselves answering questions and listening to
the answers."

That seems a little bit exaggerated... especially since these are quotes not facts lol. I'm not saying its not horrible because I am sure it is, its just that I would be surprised if its THAT bad lol.

 

[UCSFx2017]

That seems a little bit exaggerated... especially since these are quotes not facts lol. I'm not saying its not horrible because I am sure it is, its just that I would be surprised if its THAT bad lol.

Yeah I was kind of surprised as well. Maybe they're accounting for the time where they just sit and read research articles and reviewing and/or reflecting on patient records and treatment plans. I don't know.

 

[fdu83]

I keep hearing that residents work 80-100 hours a week with no vacations. So that is tha same as 16 hours a day for 5-6 days a week of straight work. Is this a huge exageration or are oral surgery residents just freaks of nature? I feel like I put myself on a pretty rigorous schedule, and I rarely ever work more than 14 hours a day. I feel like any normal person would burn out after 2 months at most of 80-100 hours a week, 4 years of it is ridiculous. I feel like I work more than most other d1s and I only put in about 40-50 solid work hours for school in per week. Can any residents share their typical "clocked in" hours per day or per week? I'm very interested in oral surgery, but I am also very aware of how much work a 16 hour day is and if thats the norm for omfs residents I'm not so sure id be up for that.

State regs vary but here is a comparison of NYS 405 regs vs ACGME requirements. There are MAXIMUMS you can work...and I don't know a single residency program that doesn't offer vacations. Our OMFS residents are entitled to 20 days off a year (in addition to holidays and sick time) You SHOULD expect to work very, very hard for several years.

http://www.ipro.org/index/cms-filesystem-action/hosp-comp/acgme-comparison-resident-work-limits.xls

 

[Gentledental1]

State regs vary but here is a comparison of NYS 405 regs vs ACGME requirements. There are MAXIMUMS you can work...and I don't know a single residency program that doesn't offer vacations. Our OMFS residents are entitled to 20 days off a year (in addition to holidays and sick time) You SHOULD expect to work very, very hard for several years.

http://www.ipro.org/index/cms-filesystem-action/hosp-comp/acgme-comparison-resident-work-limits.xls

While every residency "offers" vacation...not all allow you to take it. For instance my program allots me four weeks. However I'm not allowed to take it until the month of June, and thats the only time i'm allowed to study for step 1... so, WOOOOO SUMMER BREAK!!! Our upper levels also are allowed four weeks, but they usually only end up getting two or three. We're just too busy.