Nights/Weekends/Holidays/Family

[2nd year]

I realize that ER docs do shift work that includes nights, weekends and holidays. Just curious as to how this generally works. Do people work only nights? How often are you working weekends? Do you rotate holidays? I know that long hours are part of what we signed up for in medicine, but I'm not sure how shift schedules generally work. Overall, do ER docs find that they have enough time to spend with family or do they lose out in this area? I'm just learning about EM and appreciate all the advice offered on this board. Also, if there are any attendings that can answer or anyone who may have had similar questions, I'd like to know if EM generally tends to be what most people thought it was going to be... is it worse than thought?... better than they thought it would be? Thanks again.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[deleted52758]

i think it depends. overall we generally work less as attendings (30-40 hours a week) but often times the shifts can be staggered, which makes it harder on some people then others... so, if you have difficulty with a staggered schedule, 30-40 hours will feel like 50-60 because you're so tired all the time...

 

[mikecwru]

I realize that ER docs do shift work that includes nights, weekends and holidays. Just curious as to how this generally works. Do people work only nights? How often are you working weekends? Do you rotate holidays? I know that long hours are part of what we signed up for in medicine, but I'm not sure how shift schedules generally work. Overall, do ER docs find that they have enough time to spend with family or do they lose out in this area? I'm just learning about EM and appreciate all the advice offered on this board. Also, if there are any attendings that can answer or anyone who may have had similar questions, I'd like to know if EM generally tends to be what most people thought it was going to be... is it worse than thought?... better than they thought it would be? Thanks again.

There's a mixture of how people split up the crappy shifts. Some places have people working the "bad" shifts for incentive, some people split up the shifts fairly, some people unfairly screw people, some places put more of the shifts on the new guy until you build seniority. Realize that people often change jobs early in their career.

Overall, I think EM docs have more of a chance to see their families relative to other docs. You just have to have an appreciation that you will work nights, holidays, etc. It's not banker's hours like people in other specialties (surgery) mock us for.

Plus, if your spouse works and has benefits with an equal income, the thing I see some EPs doing is cutting down to part time; something that's a little easier to do in our field.

mike

 

[abcxyz0123]

if 30-36 hours per week is considered full time for EM physicians, what is considered part time? one 12 hour shift per week? Is it still possible to remain competent as a physician if you are only working 12 hours a week?

 

[ERMudPhud]

I do one 9 hour shift per week and have for the last 3 years. I have sometimes worried about this issue. I think that something between one and two shifts per week would be ideal from a competence point of view. I compensate by only working busy night shifts with single coverage and no residents. That way I have to see and do everything including emergent lines and intubations in the ICU's. I don't feel like my procedural skills have dropped off at all and the cognitive part still seems ok too.