having a life

[Nestle]

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Hi - simple question....Is EM really a lifestyle specialty? I hear a lot of people saying the one of the biggest plusses of EM is shift work, that they can have a life with EM. but then others in the field say that you are so sleepy cuz your circadian rhythm is thrown off all the time that you just sleep away your free time.... Please tell me the honest truth cuz at this point I am making lifestyle a top priority. EM seems REALLY interesting - if its also a good lifestyle then i'm sold.

 

[kungfufishing]

While you definitely do pay a circadian price for shiftwork and the hours/nights it entails, most EPs that I know have grown accustomed to it. Seems like each person develops a coping strategy that works for them and it isnt too big a deal. Having said this, the people who go into EM know what they are getting into and have discovered for themselves that they dont mind the nights/chaotic schedule. If you havent done an EM rotation yet, start there. Picking a specialty based on lifestyle is a bad idea, IMO.

 

[apellous]

when on ED months how are the night/day shifts generally organized. i.e. 2weeks of nights followed by 2weeks of days. How does this compare when in practice.


Thanks

Apellous

 

[DrQuinn]

That all depends on which ER you work at. If you're only at a 15k volume ED, your schedule will be far different from those that work at a 60k volume ED.

And although EM is interesting and the lifestyle is good, be aware of what you're getting into. SOME find it high-stress (I don't). I know several IM interns who say the chaos in the ED is just too muhc to handle. I actually prefer it... and find even the unit to be too boring.

Q, DO

 

[Pegasus]

I do agree with the above posts, but I have to tell you, lifestyle made the final decision for me (vs surgery and Ob/Gyn), as well as the fact that I am totally bored in the clinic and on the wards...

I want to be in a place where I see a diverse patient population with a variety of problems...i get so bored with the same stuff over and over, but dont be fooled, you still get a lot of the same stuff in the ED as well, but you also never know what will present...that is where I truely think that EM is a personality fit..you have to love the fact that you are the first to see the patient and want to be the one to work them up...and of course, I LOVE procedures!

As far as the hours and such, you will usually work certain shift hours one week, and change the next...I actually love the fact that I will have some daytime hours off to be with my future kids, and to do shopping and such..but i am also a night owl. I always hated the fact that I got off work and so did everyone else, so you have no time to call people that are only open 8-5

Hope this helps

 

[beyond all hope]

I'm a hard core intellectual and spend my off hours writing or reading, so I like the ER because it's an entirely different kind of brain activity coupled with serious physical activity.

Also remember that a full time schedule is 12 12 hour shifts/month. That leaves 18 days a month to rest, recuperate and recreate. Night shifts suck (for me) but you either get used to them or get in a practice that allows you to take less as you advance. (some people like night shifts. Get your group to hire one or two of those and pay them a bit extra, and everyone's happy)

If you're stressed out by the ER, than it's not a lifestyle field. If you like constant motion and chaos for your entire shift, than it's perfect for you.