I was recently asked to describe the hours during MS3 via pm and thought it might be something you guys would be interested in as well.
Here was my response:
I'm only half way through third year so I can only tell you my experiences up to this point. (And remember, things may change before you start third year).
My rotations this year are Ambulatory Medicine/Geriatrics, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Ob/Gyn, Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Neuro/Psych.
Orientation started June 23rd and was for about a week. Then the first rotation started June 30th. Our rotations are assigned somewhat randomly but we get to pick whether we want our 6 week courses or our 8 week courses first. I chose 6 week courses.
First rotation was Ambulatory Medicine/Geriatrics. Three weeks of Ambulatory Medicine and three weeks of Geriatrics. Ambulatory Medicine is basically outpatient Internal medicine clinics (both general and subspecialties). Hours were 8-5 M-F. In Geriatrics we spent our time split up between days in the nursing home, in outpatient clinic, and spent some time with hospice care. Hours were the same, 8-5. We had lectures all six weeks on Thursday (basically 8-5 lectures with an hour for lunch).
In addition to our time spent in clinics, we needed to spend some time studying. I probably spent two hours a day and 5 hours on the weekend studying.
Second rotation was Family Medicine. We were assigned a clinical preceptor with which we spent most of our time. We also spent half a day in the KU Student clinic and half a day in an underserved clinic. The hours were basically 8-5 M-F.
We had one half day of lectures a week.
Third rotation was Pediatrics. The 6 weeks was split up into 2 weeks of inpatient peds (either "the floor" or the pediatric ICU). I was on the floor. In addition to two weeks of inpatient, there was 1 week of the newborn nursery or the NICU, 1 week of subspecialty clinic, 1 week of urgent care, and 1 week of community clinic.
Inpatient peds hours were about 6am-5am. We had quite a bit of downtime to study. We also had "call" which meant we worked from 6 am-after rounds the next day (around 11 am). I had call 2 times in two weeks, one of wich was a weekend day. Both times I had call I got at least 5 hours of constant sleep.
Hours in the NICU was 6:30am-4:00pm M-F. Hours in the Nursery were about the same, but they also had to spend one day during weekend in the nursery as well.
The weeks in clinic were all 8-5 M-F.
We also had lectures, on average 2 per day (one at 8:00 am and one at noon).
Ob/gyn is the rotation I'm currently in. Its divided into 3 weeks of Ob and 3 weeks of Gyn. Gyn involves mostly outpatient clinic, but also surgeries one day a week. Hours on purely oupatient clinic days were 8-5. Surgical days started at 6:30ish. If the surgery was inpatient (meaning the patient spent the night after the surgery rather than going home), then I was expected to round on my patients before rounds that morning. One week I had three patients and would be at the hospital at 6:00 am for a few days in a row. The other weeks my surgical patients were oupatient.
I just started Ob this week. Its divided up into 3 sections, 1 week of "high risk," 3-4 nights, and the rest were days. High risk hours are about 6:30 to 5:00 (but really most of this time is study time. There is stuff to do in the morning and occasionally the afternoon, but it also has built in study time for the shelf.) Days are from 6:30am-6:30pm. Nights are from 6:30pm-9:00ish (after rounds). The amount of study time available (and the sleep time for individuals on nights) varies based on how busy Labor and Delivery is.
Next rotation (after Christmas break) is Internal Medicine. Its 8 weeks long. I think the hours tend to be from 6am-7pm and there is call every 4 days (or something like that). We will be expected to work weekends. I believe the hours vary based on the options chosen (VA verses KU and general verses Renal/Heme/Onc options: VA < KU and general/renal << Heme/Onc.)
Then is Surgery and the hours are probably similar to Internal Medicine - but call is from home (we will only be called if we are needed and I believe won't typically be called at all). The only difference with this type of call and the other is that we don't have the following day off.
Neuro/Psych is more cush than Internal Medicine. Hours are probably 8am-5pm M-F. I don't believe there is call but I don't know any details.
*crosses fingers*
