Night Float--your thoughts

[wifeofaDO]

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I'm new here and curious as to your thoughts on this issue. Hypothetically speaking, if you were interviewing and researching residency programs, what would appeal to you more and why--

An intern year with Q5 call that goes from 5-9pm with occasional weekend call and OB pager call from home

or

An intern year with 4 2-week blocks of night float (where you also do in-house OB) with occassional weekend call? (This would also mean one less rotation--in this case, one less ER rotation).

Thanks!

 

[PACtoDOC]

night float all the way!!

 

[CambieMD]

Do not base residency selection based on the call schedule.

CambieMD

 

[dr.smurf]

NIGHT FLOAT!

 

[PACtoDOC]

Night Float, Take Me Away (Calgon!!!!)

Dudes, I think night float sounds like the coolest thing EVER. I have talked to so many residents that say it is the greatest thing because it allows you to NEVER be on call in many cases. And the 2 weeks you are on night call it is simply working nights!!! How great is that? There is literally nothing bad about night float other than one less rotation, but it should work out to an equal experience. Its an old myth that you have to kill a resident to make them competent. It might be different in surgery and even IM, but FP?????...no way!! Thats one of the reasons I am doing FP is because I want my quality of life to be better during residency for my family. My stats could get me into even the best of allopathic specialties but I am giving all that up to do what I love...FP with NIGHT FLOAT. Night float is about number 2-3 on my list of requirements.

 

[dr.smurf]

yeah night float was instituted by some residents not so long ago that decided there had to be a better way to cover nights than the traditional 24 hr call.

in my program night float can be pretty brutal on the fp service. you cover the entire 28 bed service and ob pretty much by yourself with a senior on home backup. but, hey its one month and your done with it. it allows the interns on call to go home at 8p.m. then the night float resident (2nd yr) comes on till the morning when the fresh crew gets there. then he/she goes home sleeps and does it all over again. that person has weekends off though. then the interns are back on traditional call. so it works out for everyone. the intern only works one day out of two weekends of the month. not bad!

fp all the way!

 

[DocWagner]

Virtually all programs have instituted Night float, from IM to trauma. Oddly enough, when I was a medical student in a DO hospital, they had night float before any of the allopathic programs I rotated through. Many times, 24 hr call is a difficult beast to slay when it is well established.
As a EM resident, night float works well when calling the resident at night...not NEARLY as grumpy, and clearer thinking for the patient.
Downside, less teaching for those on night float...and difficult to follow your patients.

 

[dr.smurf]

oh i didnt realize em was doing this too. i thought em was random shift work?

how does your body get use to working days then nights then off a few days on a regular schedule then back on nights, etc.?

just curious...seems like it would get old really fast???

you guys kicked butt this yr...wow... 98.1% fill rate!

 

[Seaglass]

People working in the ED don't do night float, but EM residents rotating on other services will participate in night float. IIRC most EM programs try to "Cluster" your night shifts to limit the bouncing around.

C

 

[endo]

I think he meant that as an EM resident, it's a more pleasant experience to call someone who's on night float vs. typical call... EM residents spend a fair amount of time interacting with residents from different specialties.

-Sven