I realize I'm a bit "old school" here, but why does everyone think it's appropriate to have cell phones on and with them all the time? If you have a pager, people/family/spouse/whoever should be able to get in touch with you while you're in the hospital if there's an emergency. It makes me cringe when I hear a cell phone ringing when people (i.e. the owner of the ringing cell phone) are examining patients, in surgery, or while rounding. Mostly because people are then compelled to answer the phone: "hello?....I'm with a patient right now, I'll call you back in a little bit". Silencing the phone or keeping it off and periodically checking for voicemail in private is much more professional AND will avoid making you look bad in front of others (attendings, patients, etc.). If you're waiting for an important phone call that you must take, that's different...afterall, our hours aren't always conducive to getting important things taken care of during business hours.
