Home Call???

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HolisticMed

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Are there any neurology programs that offer home call? Or any call schedule thats overnight but like q5 or better? Does anything like this exist in the field of neurology? Thanks everyone 👍👍
 
At UIC our junior (PGY-2) residents are on call at most 6/month, which would be q5. This is the case for about 8 months out of the year, the remaining months you have no (or very few) in house calls. There is less call in in the PGY-3 year (0-4/month) and no in-house call for PGY-4s.
 
Are there any neurology programs that offer home call? Or any call schedule thats overnight but like q5 or better? Does anything like this exist in the field of neurology? Thanks everyone 👍👍

I believe the larger the program usually the less frequent the call but there of course, are exceptions. Also, last I inquired- UTMB Austin is only home call all three years. Kind of weird but whatever works.
 
Thanks for the information guys, this is very helpful. I've been researching programs in New York and they all seem to have overnight call and be just about q4. Are there any programs in New York that a have a less "rigorous" call schedule. Or even the tri state area... NY/NJ/Connecticut?
 
You might want to look into a program with a nightfloat system if you can't find one with home call - at least you get to go home for a few hours... More and more programs are going that route - UT Southwestern and UC Davis have such ones in place, last time I checked.
 
no..go to another field where call is better.
 
It's my understanding that UTSW has both night float and home call depending on what hospital you are at.
 
It's my understanding that UTSW has both night float and home call depending on what hospital you are at.
That is correct. Also, I personally do not find the night float system all that beneficial in terms of limiting workload. You end up staying late to finish things up, then you have to come in early because you have no idea how many patients are going to be handed off to you in the morning from the night float person. It ultimately means you get to sleep at home for a few hours and don't get interrupted by phone calls about diet orders at 3 a.m. I kind of hate it because all the sr residents who were pre-night float system act as though night float has turned us into pathology residents, when in fact I find the times I'm on overnight call actually less difficult. The reason for this is post-overnight call you're protected to leave by 1p.m. by ACGME rules, but not so on night-float nights. So out of 48 hrs with overnight call I'm guaranteed to work no more than 30, but with night float I often end up working 36 and presenting pts at rounds that I had handed off to me, meaning I don't really know their presentation first-hand. It's exceedingly difficult and I urge applicants to question residents about their experiences with the night float system or whatever system is in place at the program in question.
 
i'm a 4th year resident at jackson memorial hospital.. and my class had 8 residents.. so in 365 days.. that averages to about 46 nights of call per year..

the incoming class will be 10 residents.. and there's rumor of possibile further expansion.. so although it's a extremely busy program.. there aren't that many nights of call
 
Night float is about getting the work done, and not so much about learning. You lose a month of elective, typically. You miss all the conferences. Overnight call is more physically taxing, but is sometimes better. It is amazing how much of a difference there is between q3, q4 and q5+ schedules. I think call spread out over the entire residency is ideal (hopefully at least q5). If the schedule is not insane, call can actually be fun. I would be wary of residencies with lest than 4 per class, or numerous hospitals to cover.
 
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