number of weeks vacation per year

[automaton]

i've noticed that many specialties report around the same number of hours per week, at around 50-60. but we all know that some specialties work more than others, due to the number of weeks off per year. for example, a surgeon will probably get around 4 weeks off per year, working 60 hours for 48 weeks, whereas other specialties like radiology may work similar hours per week, but generally get many more weeks off.

keeping in mind that there is a lot of variety and wiggle room, it might be helpful to have a ballpark figure to see how REALLY rigorous each specialty is, post-residency.

please add to the list:
specialty - # weeks vacation

general surgery - 4 weeks on avg

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[CANES2006]

for example, a surgeon will probably get around 4 weeks off per year, working 60 hours for 48 weeks, whereas other specialties like radiology may work similar hours per

I really doubt that this is true. I've never seen a radiologist work anywhere close to the hours that a surgeon does. At my institution they regularly are out by 3:30 pm and get in around 7am. Surgeons and other surgical specialties are in around 5:30 am (intern gets there around 4:30am) and are out around 7-9pm. Anyway, I'll add to the list.


OB/GYN: avg 4 weeks off/year

 

[docB]

This question is so general that the results may be misleading to some. Your practice environment (academic vs. private) means more to this than your specialty.

For private practice Emergency Physicians, paid as independent contractors or on hourly the usual paid vacation is none. We can alter our schedules to get time off but we don't get paid for that.

 

[southerndoc]

It's a hard sell for you to demonstrate that specialties get more than 4 weeks off per year, especially during residency. I know one non-academic emergency physician who works two "full-time" jobs (he works 22 days/month of 12 hour shifts!) and over the last year, he took 0 weeks of vacation time. (Somebody wants to retire early.)

For what it's worth, the non-academic surgeons I know only take 2 weeks off per year! The academic surgeons at my institution usually get 4 weeks off per year, but they also spend only 1/4-1/2 the year doing surgery. For the most part they are busy doing research and teaching the residents and medical students in lectures outside of being an attending.

So, the bottom line: I wouldn't count on vacation time to help you justify which specialties work more. In general, the surgical specialties (minus plastic surgery), internal medicine, and ob/gyn work more hours than the other specialties like radiology, emergency medicine, and dermatology.

 

[Blade28]

3 weeks off here.

 

[Amy]

I sincerely doubt that any surgery residents are working an avg of 60 hrs/ wk. Count on 80. (Unless maybe you're talking about attendings...?) Check FREIDA to see how many vacation wks/per year there are. I'm in a surg program, and we get 4 wks/year. I know some only have 3, esp in the early years.

 

[Ergo]

wasnt the OP asking about after residency?