Possible Olympic Athlete Needs Recommendation

[ILikeGas]

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Hi , I'd like your recs for programs that have the lightest call schedules or better yet, only night float schedules.

Reason, is that I'm training for the Olympics (track) and I need lots of time for sleep, nutrition, and work-outs. On Night float, I should be able to sleep at least 6 hours in a 24 hour cycle, right?

Other friends have told me that Pathology is the way to go, former Mr. Olympia contenders have trained for body-building while in a path residency.

I'm more hardcore, and think I can work hard in residency too and path is too boring.

And no, I don't use steriods!

 

[VentdependenT]

uhh....

 

[OldManDave]

Hi , I'd like your recs for programs that have the lightest call schedules or better yet, only night float schedules.

Reason, is that I'm training for the Olympics (track) and I need lots of time for sleep, nutrition, and work-outs. On Night float, I should be able to sleep at least 6 hours in a 24 hour cycle, right?

Other friends have told me that Pathology is the way to go, former Mr. Olympia contenders have trained for body-building while in a path residency.

I'm more hardcore, and think I can work hard in residency too and path is too boring.

And no, I don't use steriods!

Sorry if I sound underwhelmed, but I would strongly suggest that you weigh factors other than your training scehdule in selecting your specialty & programs to which you intend to apply.

 

[c diddy]

I am not headed for the Olympics but I have been a competitive athlete for several years, and I intend to keep going for as long as possible. I would be careful in selecting gas as your specialty if training for track is your number one priority. An athlete needs sufficient sleep without compromise, and lots of night call will not permit that. If I were you, and in assessing my situation critically I saw a legitimate shot at the Olympics, I would say screw it and do PM&R, path or derm (easier said), or something that allows for substantial training time and rest. To participate in the Olympics is incomparable to most other things, at least in my opinion, and if I could do it I definitely would. Good luck.

 

[txdoc2b]

I think that's great that you are training for the olympics. I don't think you should let anythig ruin either one of your dreams and if you can do both...that's great!
Check out Oschner in New Orleans. I interviewed there, and they have a pretty cush schedule. They are out of their rooms by 2:30 every day exept call (and on their OB months) and their call is only like 3-4 times a month. (24 hr. call) They all seemed very happy and said that they got all their required cases and felt like they learned a lot. I am not sure how that is all possible, but it's definately worth checking out if that is what you are looking for. Also, hospital is like a country club...very nice and with a health club, pool, and hotel attached.

 

[VentdependenT]

I suggest entering a field such as sports med or PM&R if training is your priority. Rushing through preops and postops as well as loosing focus on cases for the sake of heavy training could turn a small OR problem into a major disaster.

As OMD stated, prioritize.

 

[ILikeGas]

Sorry if I sound underwhelmed, but I would strongly suggest that you weigh factors other than your training scehdule in selecting your specialty & programs to which you intend to apply.

FYI, Eric Heiden (gold medalist) and Debi Thomas (medalist) went into orthopedic surgery. But these guys are ultra-hard-core.

And I think there was a woman in the most recent Olympics (cyclist) who was in medical school too.

All this is doable, but takes planning.

 

[ILikeGas]

I am not headed for the Olympics but I have been a competitive athlete for several years, and I intend to keep going for as long as possible. I would be careful in selecting gas as your specialty if training for track is your number one priority. An athlete needs sufficient sleep without compromise, and lots of night call will not permit that. If I were you, and in assessing my situation critically I saw a legitimate shot at the Olympics, I would say screw it and do PM&R, path or derm (easier said), or something that allows for substantial training time and rest. To participate in the Olympics is incomparable to most other things, at least in my opinion, and if I could do it I definitely would. Good luck.

Okay, but it looks like to me that you're a serious athlete too, yet you're doing anesthesiology. So, it looks doable, as long as you're in the right program.

 

[InductionAgent]

Hi , I'd like your recs for programs that have the lightest call schedules or better yet, only night float schedules.

Reason, is that I'm training for the Olympics (track) and I need lots of time for sleep, nutrition, and work-outs. On Night float, I should be able to sleep at least 6 hours in a 24 hour cycle, right?

Other friends have told me that Pathology is the way to go, former Mr. Olympia contenders have trained for body-building while in a path residency.

I'm more hardcore, and think I can work hard in residency too and path is too boring.

And no, I don't use steriods!

KU-Wichita has a night float system, and the residents don't seem overworked there. You'd also be relatively close to Colorado Springs.

As far as the criticisms about how your athletics shouldn't be a big priority, I'd ignore it. If your time constraint instead was five kids at home (BTW if you have that too, more power to you), few would deride you over choosing a less strenuous residency for their sake.

 

[CaliGirlDO]

FYI, Eric Heiden (gold medalist) and Debi Thomas (medalist) went into orthopedic surgery. But these guys are ultra-hard-core.

And I think there was a woman in the most recent Olympics (cyclist) who was in medical school too.

All this is doable, but takes planning.

I think if you're serious about the Olympics and training perhaps you could take some time off for those years. I personally don't think residency is the time to be taking on such a feat as Olympic training. Even if a program is "cush" with call schedule and daily schedules, you would still be screwing your fellow residents who have to make up for the time that you are gone during Olympic trials and the Olympics itself. This could lead to some resentment towards you amongst your colleagues. There are ways to do both, but I don't think training and residency can realistically be simultaneous in anesthesia.

Incidentally, Debbi Thomas was done competing (Olympic-eligible) in figure skating when she did her orthopedic residency.

 

[c diddy]

Okay, but it looks like to me that you're a serious athlete too, yet you're doing anesthesiology. So, it looks doable, as long as you're in the right program.

I am actually not in Anesthesia, but am a 4th year applying to PM&R. I enjoy getting out at a decent hour in order to practice and prepare, and in PM&R there are not too many late nights or wicked calls. As a med student my athletic training was cut down substantially, and I imagine most residencies would cut into it even further. If gas is definitely what you're set on, you should research programs and apply carefully to maintain your training regimen. Look into PM&R- there is quite a bit of cool sports-related stuff you can pursue at several places. Hope you are able to compete in the games.

 

[OldManDave]

FYI, Eric Heiden (gold medalist) and Debi Thomas (medalist) went into orthopedic surgery. But these guys are ultra-hard-core.

And I think there was a woman in the most recent Olympics (cyclist) who was in medical school too.

All this is doable, but takes planning.

ILikeGas;

I did not say that this was not a do-able thing. Many famous folks have gone on to pursue med school post-professional/high-amateur atheletics. In fact, Robert Smith, retired running back for the MN Vikings retired in order to complete his degree & work towards getting into med school.

My point was, which you completely missed, was that it would be a potentially eggregious error to select your specialty for reasons external to the specialty itself. In other words, by no means would I recommend choosing derm/path/rads simply cause it would permit a more grueling training schedule.

The sort of physician you become will determine where you spend a phenomenal amount of your valuable time. Make what you choose worthy of the expenditure of that valuable & irretrievable resource. Even if you do make the olympics (by all means, if you are capable - GO FOR IT!), that will represent a much smaller committment of time over the span of your life & professional career.

Choose your subspecialty for the love of that field & not for the convenience it may or may not provide. That is all I am saying.