free time during residency

[sanj238]

How much free time do you get during your residency hours on average? How about on weeks with call? Weeks without call? I know it varies with programs- but I was wondering in general what kind of lifestyle is present.

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[futuredoctor10]

How much free time do you get during your residency hours on average? How about on weeks with call? Weeks without call? I know it varies with programs- but I was wondering in general what kind of lifestyle is present.

So work hour restrictions are 80 hrs/week. Intern year, most of your months are inpatient months and require call: thus probably will near 70-80 hours/week. You are right that it will vary by program.

 

[Raryn]

How much free time do you get during your residency hours on average? How about on weeks with call? Weeks without call? I know it varies with programs- but I was wondering in general what kind of lifestyle is present.

It really varies. For interns, my program has 13 four-week blocks, of which 4-5 of them we don't work weekends, 7-8 we alternate golden/black weekends, and one is night float where the days off are random.

The program where I went to medical school had substantially less weekend time off because when on wards they would just give random pre-call days off so your day off might be a random tuesday and you never got two days off in a row. There were also only something like 3 months that were clinics/electives with minimal weekend work.

 

[jdh71]

Plan to work 60 to 70 per week on the regular regardless of program differences.

This translates into about an hour or two of free time in the evenings before bed in my experience (if you have kids it basically means no free time just FYI). But I like to get a solid 7-8 hours of sleep.

 

[Hospitaless]

14 years ago, it was 120 hours a week.. I still managed to be ranked in the top 10 playing Quake II online 🙂

 

[235009]

I wouldn't downplay the degree of variability particularly with regards to programs that have "block scheduling" (i.e. 3+1, 4+1, 4+2, 6+2 etc) and those with a traditional schedule (half day clinic once a week). In the latter you will have a more consistently brutal schedule similar to the one jdh mentioned. On the other hand with block scheduling I never crack 40 hrs during clinic week. Needless to say you have more free time than you know what to do with during that week. Inpatient weeks vary wildly...usually between 55 and 100 hrs per week.

 

[jdh71]

I wouldn't downplay the degree of variability particularly with regards to programs that have "block scheduling" (i.e. 3+1, 4+1, 4+2, 6+2 etc) and those with a traditional schedule (half day clinic once a week). In the latter you will have a more consistently brutal schedule similar to the one jdh mentioned. On the other hand with block scheduling I never crack 40 hrs during clinic week. Needless to say you have more free time than you know what to do with during that week. Inpatient weeks vary wildly...usually between 55 and 100 hrs per week.

Residency should come with a sippy cup now.

Wow.

That's like normal dirty peasant free time.

 

[jdh71]

14 years ago, it was 120 hours a week.. I still managed to be ranked in the top 10 playing Quake II online 🙂

If you believe in yourself and try really, really hard . . .

 

[gutonc]

Residency should come with a sippy cup now.

It does. It also comes with a blankie and a teddy bear for the ACGME mandated Q45 minute naps.

 

[235009]

It does. It also comes with a blankie and a teddy bear for the ACGME mandated Q45 minute naps.

Mr. Snuggles is a crucial part of my training!

 

[Elixir6]

It does. It also comes with a blankie and a teddy bear for the ACGME mandated Q45 minute naps.

Ha!

 

[michaelrack]

When I was a resident (I graduated med school in 1997), I routinely worked 100 hr+ weeks. And I had it easy compared to the old-timers.

 

[padastra]

Protip: it's residency dependent. There are some where you'll average very close to 80 / week, even if you have a block schedule.