How much reading do you do as a doctor?

[canmed96]

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I know this sounds silly, obviously i understand that medicine is always changing and you need to keep up, but to what extent? I am passionate about becoming a doctor for the interpersonal side of things, but i do understand there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work without interacting with patients. My point is, I am willing to do what is necessary to become a doctor but i dont want to be buried in books 24/7 for the rest of my life.

Do you have time to have fun as a med student/doctor or is it all jumping through the next hoop?

 

[cactusnrocks]

Have you shadowed yet? This is a good question to ask each physician you shadow because the answer can be different across the board. An older FP I shadowed was CONSTANTLY reading journal articles, even for things "outside of his field". He just wanted to be as up to date as possible. My perception is that yes you do have to read a good amount, but plenty of physicians have lives outside of work, if that is what you are getting at.

 

[Azete]

I guess it depends on how you define reading. I have yet to open a textbook in med school (holy **** these were a waste of money), but I spend about 40 hours a week studying slides and other lecture notes.

Basically it comes down to time management skills; if you understand how to manage your time, you'll have plenty of time for other activities, if you don't then it'll feel like you spend your entire life studying.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Most of the docs I work with do a lot of reading but most don't seem to mind since its stuff they're interested in anyway. That said they're all academics so have a bit of a pre-disposition towards that sort of thing.

I'd imagine there's fields where you can get away with not reading much to stay up to date, but even if you're not reading your still going to have to stay up to date somehow. I'm not sure exactly how CME credits work/what qualifies as CME but I know you need a certain number to keep your license current.

 

[sallyhasanidea]

Matters what type of practice your in, what type of specialty you join, and how dedicated you are.

I've met physicians who read maybe twice a year

 

[gyngyn]

It all blends together...
I probably read about an hour a day on medical matters not directly related to an identified patient or a scheduled lecture. Probably another hour on current events/leisure (SDN) reading.

 

[DocJuan]

I know this sounds silly, obviously i understand that medicine is always changing and you need to keep up, but to what extent? I am passionate about becoming a doctor for the interpersonal side of things, but i do understand there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work without interacting with patients. My point is, I am willing to do what is necessary to become a doctor but i dont want to be buried in books 24/7 for the rest of my life.

Do you have time to have fun as a med student/doctor or is it all jumping through the next hoop?

Ideally healthcare's ever changing landscape should be exciting enough to motivate you to read and keep up! It's only in your best interest. You don't want to just be a cog in the wheel.

 

[Tenk]

Technology makes traditional reading obsolete. I listen to podcasts and read uptodate (a website) on a near daily basis and it blends in with driving or work to the point that I don't even notice I'm doing it.

To answer your second question: there is plenty of time for fun.

 

[Doctor-S]

I doubt if you will be buried in books 24/7 for the rest of your life - especially given the ongoing advances in modern technology that often provides we mortals with instant information at the push of a button or the use of an app. Note: this has already been addressed by some of the other respondents to your original post - so I won't discuss further.

However, you might choose to read journal articles and other literature throughout your professional career because you will want to be a very capable (up-to-date) physician. As a result, you may be absolutely fascinated in reading about many topics that appeal to your specialty, or other interests. Some do; and others don't. Based on your specialty, you may read more, or you may read less. Of course, you'll have plenty of time to cross this threshold after you complete medical school and your residency. Come to think of it: if you're into text messaging with your family and friends, or glued to your smart phone, you may already be reading much more than I do on any given day.

Just so you know: in addition to reading many materials related to my professional career, I also allocate ample time for "fun" reading (and "fun" activities) nearly every single week (and these things have nothing to do with my professional career). All is well.

Thank you.

 

[Goro]

UptoDate isn't merely a gold mine of info of specific topics, it's a platinum mine!

When I need to update my lectures, it's the first thing I turn to.

Technology makes traditional reading obsolete. I listen to podcasts and read uptodate (a website) on a near daily basis and it blends in with driving or work to the point that I don't even notice I'm doing it.

To answer your second question: there is plenty of time for fun.

 

[Crayola227]

you're definitely signing up for a life of lifelong learning, and if you don't love reading.....

with all the notes involved in every field, documentation/reading is a huge part of your day

if you mean reading outside that, it varies, but as one person pointed out there is for sure some CME you can count on having

I lot of docs I knew would be bringing journal articles to read on the beach during their vacay!

long story short, be prepared to read your ass off in general, but plenty of docs have time for a life

I don't hesitate to tell you that you can have work/life balance, I do hesitate to give you any sort of notion like you're gonna be able to slack on reading or permission to think that you can get away with it