random curiousity: Dr's Lounges...when do we get the free food?

[rachmoninov3]

Just curious, but when do we actually get the perk of having access to the free food/coffee of the doctor's lounge?

At the University, all resident/interns get their meal stipend and eat in the cafeteria like the rest of us commoners. At my small little hospital up north, the residents have access to the free food at the doctor's lounge, along with the stipend.

I was just curious b/c this morning I saw one of my attendings doing locum work at this small hospital, he said "hi" and was cordial, but thought as I went to BUY my breakfast how close that free breakfast and coffee for the drive home was...

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[Nikki2002]

I have a confession.....there's this one fridge for residents that I steal pudding and apple sauce out of sometimes.

 

[AlexMorph]

I have a confession.....there's this one fridge for residents that I steal pudding and apple sauce out of sometimes.

stick it to them!!!

 

[WellWornLad]

I had no idea there was such a magical place. Tell me more about this "Doctor's lounge" you speak of...

 

[thanecyan]

When I shadowed a PM&R doc at a local hospital, he let me eat in the doctor's lounge

Great food, multiple couches, lots of reading material around, and a big screen TV
😀

 

[rock_climber]

i am curious about this too. i actually just saw the dr. lounge for the first time the other day while walking over a skywalk - there were all sorts of breakfast goodies/fruit/etc. and seating with couches and some TVs. on further inspection, i couldnt even find the door to get into the place although I could see doctors inside 😕

 

[smq123]

As a resident, you're supposed to have access to food (usually free) 24 hours a day while you're on call. This generally translates to a refrigerator that is kept stocked and is supposed to be ONLY for residents....unless a med student starts stealing pudding and applesauce cups from it. ;-)

Not having easy access to food while on call is a residency violation.

Some places offer a lounge with free snacks to only the attendings. It varies from place to place.

 

[montessori2md]

This varies by location. The student lounge at my campus includes a pod coffee maker and a fridge. We get $500/semester on a card (only good w/in the hospital) for food in M3/M4, b/c there isn't really anywhere w/in walking distance for us to get food, and we're expected to be there overnight.

But really this is all b/c when the satellite campus program started, it was hard to sell it to the students, and these perks helped offset the main campus advantages (all the student stuff/friends you had the first 2 years).

On the other hand, we're not even supposed to set foot w/in the MD lounge, though nice attendings will sneak you in sometimes.

 

[ANCAdoc]

Not having easy access to food while on call is a residency violation.

At my institution, they recently raised our dollar amount per meal on call from $5 (which rarely bought a full meal) to $6. However, we got an email recently stating the new hours of the cafeteria. At the university hospital, the grill service closes at 4PM and a late night dinner service opens at 11PM. There is no regular dinner service! I guess easy access is a fairly subjective definition.

And we don't have a snack area that is furnished. The private hospital does, but not the uni hospital, VA hospital, and county hospital.

 

[c5212]

i am curious about this too. i actually just saw the dr. lounge for the first time the other day while walking over a skywalk - there were all sorts of breakfast goodies/fruit/etc. and seating with couches and some TVs. on further inspection, i couldnt even find the door to get into the place although I could see doctors inside 😕

well that's easy to explain.. you see, these doctors that you speak of ride their magical stallions THROUGH the freakin' walls! They're amazing! That's why I want to be a doctor... can't wait for my mystical thoroughbred

 

[smq123]

I guess easy access is a fairly subjective definition.

Well, judging by the selection in the fridge in the resident's call area at my hospital, "food" is also a fairly subjective definition....

You have to somehow show that your residents won't starve while on call, without being forced to leave the hospital or shell out too much money. The ACGME seems fuzzy on the other details.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

"Doctor's lounge" is highly variable. At my med school, it just means a private dining room within the cafeteria (so that the residents/attendings don't get bugged by patients and their families while they eat, most likely). No free food or drinks there. Med students are usually fine to eat there if they are with their teams.

 

[Blesbok]

It all depends where you are. A lot of the hospitals I go to the residents are allowed in teh doctor's lounges and usually students end up going there too. It is pretty much how I pick which hospital I want to do my rotation at. 😳

 

[theman1990]

At our school, no residents, interns, and ESPECIALLY lowlife med students are allowed in it... NP's and PA's, however, are. Go figure!

 

[Nikki2002]

the only thing they give med students here is free coffee. and not good coffee either.

 

[meister]

Bad coffee still owns.

 

[RoyBasch]

In my book coffee that is free is by definition good.
-Roy

 

[reedman]

I used to work nights in an ED. sometimes on a realy busy shift an attending would give me his badge and tell me to go pillage the drs lounge. I would usually come back with 2 emesis buckets full of chips, sodas and different kinds of organic juice for everyone to share. It was the holy grail of night shift. I miss those days.

now i will return to embryology...