Post graduation planning help

[2Fast2Des]

In my CA3 year, thinking about how to plan for post July attending life...

What do you all recommend about what the best plan could be after finishing residency? My significant other would like to take off 2-3 months after graduation so we can get some real time off after all the busy resident schedule and do some traveling, marriage, etc, before working for the man and being continuously busy working. We would like to consider delaying starting real job so I won't have to sacrifice all my vacation time immediately after starting working and have none left for the year as well.

However, we do have to take written boards in end of July, so I'm not sure how much time I should be putting to studying for that, or can I still be traveling around and do some studying each day and not worry?

Talking to couple of other people who graduated from other residencies say that you can work for the rest of your life, and that this would be the best opportunity to get some extended time off before settling in, if money isn't an issue (it isn't).

What do you think??

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[GravelRider]

Definitely take some time off. 2-3 months is a good number. That still gives you time to prepare for the written boards and have time left over to chill out. Travel, visit friends, and just relax.

 

[PreMedNuevaYork]

I'm currently taking some time off.
I owed time, so I was still a resident when I took the boards. I did well. If you do have to work, for some reason, don't worry too much about that!

 

[pgg]

I would take the time off if it’s an easy option for you and the group hiring you.

Study more than you think you need to. No one in the history of ever has regretted scoring higher than they needed to. Everyone who misses the mark by a couple points (which is most of the people who fail) has I-didn’t-study-enough remorse.

 

[2Fast2Des]

How many hours a day do you allot to studying for the written boards? Fiance wants to go to exotic places during July and says I can study for a few hours a day while we're there so we can make use of the time instead of being stuck at home in the US.

 

[Lecithin5]

How many hours a day do you allot to studying for the written boards? Fiance wants to go to exotic places during July and says I can study for a few hours a day while we're there so we can make use of the time instead of being stuck at home in the US.

Study hard during the end of your ca3 year (ie march- june), and that way you won't need to study much during July. That's what I did (I was starting a fellowship in July, and knew that I didn't want to spend too much time board studying as I wanted to focus on the fellowship).

 

[pgg]

The best answer is not think ahead to July, and to make the most of October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, and June.

How many hours per day? There's no universal formula. Aim for something every day during residency. If you do, you'll pass easily, and be a better anesthesiologist, which is more important anyway.

Have you ever studied on vacation before? If you haven't actually done it, I'm not sure I'd assume you'll actually do it. I finished fellowship this year, almost immediately left on a trip with my family ... took study materials with me ... barely touched any of them despite lots and lots of lounging around time. Got home, spent the 5 or 6 days before the echo exam ignoring everyone, putting in about 10 hours per day. In retrospect I could've studied a lot less and still passed, but again, I don't regret scoring higher than I needed to.

 

[Twiggidy]

How many hours a day do you allot to studying for the written boards? Fiance wants to go to exotic places during July and says I can study for a few hours a day while we're there so we can make use of the time instead of being stuck at home in the US.

Study like you don't want to fail (which you don't). When I was studying for writtens we were in the middle of a heat wave so it was the perfect time to abuse the library A/C. I went in when it opened and was darn near the last person out. Obviously I took breaks for lunch, dinner, the john, etc. As others are saying, you don't want to fail. People may say you have the rest of you life to work, but honestly, you also have the rest of your life to travel, enjoy the misses, get married, etc. Just take this time to pass and not have to worry, because not long after, you'll have orals to worry about.