yes i like medicine intellectually, i LOVE science... and i want to help people. but it seems like "healthcare" isn't about helping people anymore... its a business (not that socialized medicine is any better, its evil... its still a business, the only thing different is its controlled by Big Brother, and i don't think the government has a right to say who lives or dies) but aside from all that, when its said and done, i need ME time, not necessarily party time... in fact i am not a party person at all. i need at least one day a week with my friends too, just to chill. but who cooks so you don't live out of the vending machine between patients and cleans and does laundry and balances the checkbook, etc. when one is working 19 hours a day? how do you manage a marriage and/or kids? how do you have time to fix your car if you need to or go to the gym so you can stay fit? maybe social life was a bad choice of words... basically, how do you just plain LIVE?
While Bitsy has answered your query much more eloquently than I could, I thought I would add my agreement to her sentiments.
First of all, you aren't working 19 hrs a day,
every day. You will work 12-14 on most days, and generally have at least one full day off on the weekends (or during the week) and at least one full two day weekend during the month. Even programs that violate the work hour restrictions generally try and do at least that.
People do have families while in residency and they make that their priority - so while in the hospital they study when they can, so that when home they can spend time with the kids. Long hours are not the sole province of medicine; my father regularly worked 12-14 hrs a day as well and somehow I turned out ok.
So what this means is that you have to be organized when you are off. If you know you are going to be post-call on Wednesday, then that's when you schedule your dentist appointment or to take your car in for a tune-up.
You make sure your refrigerator and cupboards are stocked with food and have some easy to prepare recipes so that when you go home, you aren't picking up Taco Bell on the way.
Gyms in the hospital are nice, but if you don't have one, perhaps your apartment complex will. Heck, you don't need a gym to stay in shape - you can run a few flights up the stairs while in the hospital, ride your bike to work, etc. You have to think a little more broadly.
Believe me, as Bitsy and I understand, life was much much harder in the pre 80 hr workweek. I would often put clothes in the washer, only to return to them 3 days later and find them stinky and have to rewash them. I often fell asleep while having conversations with my SO. But it is much easier now to do the things you need to do as well as the things you want to do.
I won't lie and say that it does take some organization. It was hard for me to get a dentist appointment because a) I didn't know my schedule two months in advance (which is how far out he was scheduling) and b) I never knew if I was really going home post-call during the daylight hours when the dentist worked.
As for hanging out with friends, you might not have a whole day each week to do so, but you can coordinate some of your activities and kill two birds with one stone: meet your friends for a game of football or something else so that you get your exercise in, have them over for dinner and cook lots of extra stuff so that you have it in your freezer for meals to come.
If all the above fails, get a spouse or SO without a demanding job and have them do all the car work, errands, etc for you!
