Dog during residency

[GYN DOC]

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Is it feasible to have a dog during an internal medicine internship and residency? At our program, the residents are usually done couple of hours after rounds - 2-3:00pm. If on call during the week you stay to 9:00pm. On friday and saturday its 24hrs. I do have a husband with semiflexible hours.

 

[pillowhead]

Is it feasible to have a dog during an internal medicine internship and residency? At our program, the residents usually done couple of hours after rounds - 2-3:00pm. If on call during the week you stay to 9:00pm. On friday and saturday its 24hrs. I do have a husband with semiflexible hours.

I would think as long as your husband is willing to do much of the work, it's possible. But I would NOT get a puppy. They are an incredible amount of work especially if it takes them a while to get a hang of houstraining and you're taking them outside every few hours in the night. Plus they require multiple vet visits for shots, spay/neuter, etc. Try adopting an older dog from the pound or humane society or if you have your heart set on a particular breed, do a search to see if that breed has a rescue organization in your area. Do some research on lower energy breeds but realize there's no such thing as a no energy breed!

My husband and I adopted a 2 yr old dog right after step 1, and now I'm about to start residency. I think that between the two of us and occasional use of a dog walker we trust (charges $16 for half an hour), we'll be just fine. You can also consider doggie day care on occasion ($20 a day around here) which really helps them blow off energy.

Just remember, A DOG IS FOR LIFE. PERIOD. END OF STORY. If s/he doesn't fit into your lifestyle well, THEN YOU WILL HAVE TO CHANGE IT AS BEST AS YOU CAN. Inability to easily houstrain, chewing or destructive behavior, landlord not permitting animals anymore, excessive barking, new baby, can't afford it anymore etc, are NOT reasons to give up a dog ever. The only valid reason to give up a dog is excessive aggression and then only after working with a certified animal behaviorist (and in this situation, it wouldn't be ethical to give up the dog to someone else. The only ethical thing would be to euthanize it.) Therefore, you MUST be willing to provide for your dog for the REMAINDER OF IT'S LIFE--possibly 15 years or more. It's a BIG commitment but one that can be very rewarding if you're willing to put a lot into it.

 

[imbricatedu2rus]

I know of 2 interns who had to give their puppies up for adoption as they had underestimated the time and attention their dogs needed.

 

[TheDuck]

My uncle gave up a dog simply because he didn't like him. 😡 I hate that crap.

 

[NinerNiner999]

Get a fence and a doggy door in your backyard and your life will be very easy. If you have neither a fence or a backyard, don't get a dog. Seriously.

 

[Bitsy3221]

Actively find the other dog owners/lovers in your program and hospital (residents, students, nurses, techs, etc.). Even though everyone is busy, they sometimes can be available when you are not. It helps with vet visits, visits to the dog park, someone stopping in when you are on call, watching the pup if you need to go out of town for a quick weekend, etc. A couple of the surgery residents here sometimes used to carpool to the doggie day care, since depending on the rotation some people had to be to work earlier or stay later than the place was opened. Dog lovers "get" other dog lovers, so they will be more likely to bend over backward at least a little to help you out in a pinch since they understand how hard it is, but how worthwhile an investment sharing your life with a pet can be.