How early do anesthesiologists wake up?

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DrBB

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So I'm strongly considering going into Anesthesia for residency. However, I'm not a morning person at all - I was able to do it for 2 months on my surgery rotation, but I don't know if I can spend the next 40 years of my life waking up at 4AM.

So the question is: how early do attendings wake up? How about residents?
 
DrBB said:
So I'm strongly considering going into Anesthesia for residency. However, I'm not a morning person at all - I was able to do it for 2 months on my surgery rotation, but I don't know if I can spend the next 40 years of my life waking up at 4AM.

So the question is: how early do attendings wake up? How about residents?
Click to expand...

I was never a morning person, but you become one. As an attending I'm at the hospital every day at 7 AM for a 7:30 start. Some of my colleagues roll in at 7:30.. for a 7:30 start....

I typically wake up around 545.

as a resident I usually rolled into the hospital around 6:50 for 7:40 start... earlier if I was on cardiac or was doing a big case

drccw
 
Most days I get up at 5-515 workout at home, leave house by 645 in hospital by 715 for 730 start.
 
DrBB said:
I'm not a morning person at all
Click to expand...

People who identify themselves as "not morning people" (and I used to be one of them) are in truth just "I like to stay up late and don't get enough sleep people" ...

It's possible to change that, if you want to. I don't mean to be a smartass, not really 🙂, but you just go to bed earlier. You give up late night TV.

For a good chunk of my residency, I got in the habit of going to bed at about the same time as my kids around 8:00 PM. I'd get up around 3:30 AM and study for a couple hours before going to work. I was not tired. That is kind of extreme and a bit weird, I know, but the point is "not morning people" can become "morning people" pretty easily if they just decide to go to bed earlier.


These days I usually wake up a bit after 6, get to the hospital about 7 for a 7:30 start. Some variability depending on the case I'm starting (I can't really count on anything more than a basic setup being in place), and whether or not I'm on call.
 
I always get up 2 hours before case is scheduled to start and 2.5 hours before cardiac case starts. That translates to 5:30 to 6 on most mornings.

If I am really tired I can skip the shower/ shave and get up 1 hour before case start.

Never skip the coffee though.

- pod
 
545am for the 730am cases. I like to shower and eat breakfast in the morning. I get to work around 7am to set the room up as I have to do all my own cases.
 
Surgery center/Hospital. Wake up at 6am for 715-730am start. Takes me 30 minutes to get ready. Shower etc. . 20 minutes to drive to work.

If covering GI center. They like to start real early like 615am start time. So have to be at center by 6am. So wake up at 5am.
 
I was never a morning person either.

Wake up 630...out the door 645.....arrive 655....pt in room 715. 45 min earlier for hearts. I'm Asian so I never shower😎
 
DrBB said:
So I'm strongly considering going into Anesthesia for residency. However, I'm not a morning person at all - I was able to do it for 2 months on my surgery rotation, but I don't know if I can spend the next 40 years of my life waking up at 4AM.

So the question is: how early do attendings wake up? How about residents?

I set my alarm for 0520 most work days and awaken 99% of the time before it goes off and turn it off which I think is a reflection of my very high job satisfaction level. I genuinely love what I do for a living!
I get to the surgery center around 0615. I live five minutes from my gig which I love.
I never required much sleep... I usually go to sleep between 1130pm-midnight. Five hours sleep is good for me during the week.
On weekends I like to sleep in until 9 or so.
Click to expand...
 
Not a morning person either...the keys are A. get your TV and computer out of your bedroom, B. use white noise or music in the background when you go to sleep, C. take some melatonin/benedryl/ambien until you get into a rhythm, D. exercise daily
 
I'm Indian, I have to shower at least twice a day. I'll prolly have to get up at 4.
 
Currently a Resident:
Depending on the complexity of the case, usually arrive at work between 5:30 to 6.
Typical non-complex case day:
Shower before I goto to bed.
Get up at 5:10
Leave house 5:30
In hospital locker room by 5:50, In main OR 6 am.
Surgery start at 7:30 (room fully equipped, machine checked, pt must be lined, all blocks in place, all orders in). Surgeons expect to cut by 7:45.
Out of hospital no later than 4 pm unless call.

At the childrens hospital, our techs are amazing. Basically do everything for us except draw up meds. Our carts are always fully stocked so never have to rummage for random things.
Wake up at 6. Arrive at 6:45 for 7:30 starts.
Out no later than 4 pm.
 
How early do the surgeons come in and leave during residency?
 
Arch Guillotti said:
Wow. What about didactics and preops?
Click to expand...

Yes you are correct. I averaged it out.

2 weekdays out at 530 because of didactics,

Add on peops mostly up to the juniors/late call residents. As a junior generally left 4:30 to 5.

As a senior usually out by 3 to 4.
 
I get up at 4:40 almost every weekday. At the hospital by 5:50 to find a decent parking spot. Drink my double grande hammerhead coffee then either set up my room or make sure my resident is ready. 6:30 we have meeting/didactics/something just about every morning. That goes until 7:10 or so. First case is in the room by 7:40 unless I'm doing hearts then it's 7.

I used to come in later if I knew I didn't have my own room or a late off site start. It just go too confusing to change the alarm every day.

Goal is bed by 10, but an occasional 11 pm evening isn't a problem.


On the iPhone
 
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Wake up at 6:15, at hospital by 7, 1st case starts 730......I'm not a morning person either but I can handle waking up @ 615. As a resident I was up @ 5:45
 
vector2 said:
Not a morning person either...the keys are A. get your TV and computer out of your bedroom, B. use white noise or music in the background when you go to sleep, C. take some melatonin/benedryl/ambien until you get into a rhythm, D. exercise daily
Click to expand...

did a physician just recommend benadryl to get on a normal sleep cycle? :O yikers
 
doctor712 said:
did a physician just recommend benadryl to get on a normal sleep cycle? :O yikers
Click to expand...

did a sitcom writer just call out a MD on a medical topic? :O for sure
 
Let's say an attending doesn't show up for the morning case. Can another attending easily be called?
 
Awaken at 5:30, leave the house at 6:15, arrive at hospital at 6:18 (yes, I live in BFE and this is one of the reasons I do!).

Change clothes and I'm talking to patients by 6:30. Finished with 2 or 3 preop evaluations/consents by 7:00, if there's nothing out of the ordinary. If there is, I have time to get it straightened out.

7:00-7:20 I drink my coffee and watch the "not-a-morning-persons" scramble to get ready on time or find someone else to blame for the delay.

My advice: learn to go to bed early, get up early, arrive early. It's amazing how much you can get done if there's nobody around to get in your way. You get used to it.
 
oldguy55 said:
Awaken at 5:30, leave the house at 6:15, arrive at hospital at 6:18 (yes, I live in BFE and this is one of the reasons I do!).

Change clothes and I'm talking to patients by 6:30. Finished with 2 or 3 preop evaluations/consents by 7:00, if there's nothing out of the ordinary. If there is, I have time to get it straightened out.

7:00-7:20 I drink my coffee and watch the "not-a-morning-persons" scramble to get ready on time or find someone else to blame for the delay.

My advice: learn to go to bed early, get up early, arrive early. It's amazing how much you can get done if there's nobody around to get in your way. You get used to it.
Click to expand...

👍👍 Obviously I've never been an anesthesiologist, but I can echo this sentiment in a variety of other work environments. I've had a few jobs where I was amazed what I could get accomplished if I came in early/stayed late to get stuff done without others around interrupting me.
 
doctor712 said:
did a physician just recommend benadryl to get on a normal sleep cycle? :O yikers
Click to expand...

swpm said:
did a sitcom writer just call out a MD on a medical topic? :O for sure
Click to expand...

take it easy there, d712. there's a difference between your circadian rhythm and the behavioral habits that help you follow said rhythm. benedryl and ambien can temporarily help with the latter (especially in ppl with poor sleep hygiene) while melatonin possibly helps with both.
 
vector2 said:
take it easy there, d712. there's a difference between your circadian rhythm and the behavioral habits that help you follow said rhythm. benedryl and ambien can temporarily help with the latter (especially in ppl with poor sleep hygiene) while melatonin possibly helps with both.
Click to expand...

Dude, sleep sufferer here. I use melatonin, ambien. Had the polysomnography. Central apnea. I get it. I know Benadryl knocks you on your butt. It sure does for me.
Just don't think it's suggested for anything longer than... A night. What I can say is that for some people with true problems, Benadryl will knock u out. And you'll be up 3 hours later.
Nothing personal vector. Just don't think Benadryl Is any sort of long term sleep aid to fix a young docs wake up issues. But what do I know, I'm a sitcom writer. You're the MD. Ambien on the other hand, probably saved my life as I wasn't sleeping without it. Maybe 1-2 hours a night. I was in hell. melatonin helps too of course. I use that per a sleep doc. Neither of my sleep docs ever recommended Benadryl. And if they would have, I imagine they would have mentioned it was for extremely short term in their post. I mean office. 🙂
D712
 
Who sends the kids to school or picks them up?

I was rotating with a female surgeon who had a driver hired to do that. Those expenses sure add up, and none of them are exactly making ibanker salaries.
 
That is the toughest part. We have a nanny that is required to be here to get my son up and on the bus in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon on the days my wife and I work.

It is a lot easier when they are young and you can just drop them off at daycare on your way to work, but that doesn't work for school.

- pod
 
I'm young so I'm excluded from the highest incomes by the monopolist robber baron older anesthesiologists, but I still clear enough for my wife to stay home with the kids.
 
doctor712 said:
Dude, sleep sufferer here. I use melatonin, ambien. Had the polysomnography. Central apnea. I get it. I know Benadryl knocks you on your butt. It sure does for me.
Just don't think it's suggested for anything longer than... A night. What I can say is that for some people with true problems, Benadryl will knock u out. And you'll be up 3 hours later.
Nothing personal vector. Just don't think Benadryl Is any sort of long term sleep aid to fix a young docs wake up issues. But what do I know, I'm a sitcom writer. You're the MD. Ambien on the other hand, probably saved my life as I wasn't sleeping without it. Maybe 1-2 hours a night. I was in hell. melatonin helps too of course. I use that per a sleep doc. Neither of my sleep docs ever recommended Benadryl. And if they would have, I imagine they would have mentioned it was for extremely short term in their post. I mean office. 🙂
D712
Click to expand...

You gotta stop reading into my posts what you're hearing in your head. Who said anything about "long term sleep aid'? Did you miss the word "temporarily" in my last post?

You have serious sleep pathology and you're not the target audience I was talking to. Most of us have normal circadian rhythms but are just easily distracted by life's various engagements so we end up fighting what our body is normally telling us to do, and those are the people who can take some benadryl a couple times a week instead of staying up watching late night.
 
Vector
I was referring to the original post. That didn't quantify Benadryl with short term, or long term
That's all. Let's get back to original thread. Kumbaaya.
D712
 
6:15am for general OR/7:30 start. 5:00am for a heart day/6:30 start.

... add 35 min. to that if I'm riding my bicycle into work.
 
It depends how far do you live from the hospital.

During my residency it took ~ 20-25 min for me to get to the OR, so I was getting up at 5.17 ( yes, exactly ))) for the most time, much earlier during my first month of cardio and somewhat later for outpatient center and pain clinic.

Now I live 10 minutes away from my hospital and I get up at 6.10 for 7.30 case ( to be there at 7-7.10, depending on the case).

We do have different start times in the morning, however, and if you are on-call, the rule is to try to make you come later - 8-9-9.30.
I take a shower but I do not eat breakfast ( I can't eat that early).
A big jar of very strong coffee is a must.
 
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I know it depends, but are you usually done by 4-5 pm?
 
I work at 2 hospitals. One is only 1 mile away. So I used to wake up at 6:45, out the door at 6:55 and arrive at 7. 7:30 start.

Then I had two kids, and haven't set my alarm since. One or the other is up at 5:30, sometimes 5, and yet I am getting to work closer to 7:15 now. Argh! So early job or not, kids turn you into a morning person.
 
RxBoy said:
Currently a Resident:
Depending on the complexity of the case, usually arrive at work between 5:30 to 6.
Typical non-complex case day:
Shower before I goto to bed.
Get up at 5:10
Leave house 5:30
In hospital locker room by 5:50, In main OR 6 am.
Surgery start at 7:30 (room fully equipped, machine checked, pt must be lined, all blocks in place, all orders in). Surgeons expect to cut by 7:45.
Out of hospital no later than 4 pm unless call.

At the childrens hospital, our techs are amazing. Basically do everything for us except draw up meds. Our carts are always fully stocked so never have to rummage for random things.
Wake up at 6. Arrive at 6:45 for 7:30 starts.
Out no later than 4 pm.
Click to expand...

Wow, your surgeons must be chomping at the bit to position scrub and drape as soon as the patient is in the room.

At my place, it's more like Where's Waldo trying to get a surgery attending or resident actually come and get on with the surgery.
 
How early do anesthesiologists wake up?

I would say 15-20 minutes before the case ends, depending on the case. I usually just ask the nurse to wake me up.

(Wait....did I miss the point of the question?)
 
epidural man said:
How early do anesthesiologists wake up?

I would say 15-20 minutes before the case ends, depending on the case. I usually just ask the nurse to wake me up.

(Wait....did I miss the point of the question?)
Click to expand...

In France they say anesthesia is a half awake dude caring for a half asleep patient.
 
dhb said:
In France they say anesthesia is a half awake dude caring for a half asleep patient.
Click to expand...

Ha! I laughed out loud at this one. Good ol' socialist health care...

😎
 
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