residencies in terms of difficulty/craziness

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I am just wondering...what are the easiest residencies in terms of work responsibilies and hours, and what are the more difficult ones (by reputation)? I suppose you get an idea during clinicals, but I'm just wondering what most people think about this topic. I am not even in medical school, so its not like I'm trying to decide on a specialty but I think its an interesting topic. I am really curious because I'm not interested in surgery or radiology, and I'm wondering what of the other specialities are difficult in terms of hours and also, level of competition.
Just something I wonder about.

 

[Gauss]

Use the serach or browse the specialty forums

 

[randomedstudent]

I am just wondering...what are the easiest residencies in terms of work responsibilies and hours, and what are the more difficult ones (by reputation)? I suppose you get an idea during clinicals, but I'm just wondering what most people think about this topic. I am not even in medical school, so its not like I'm trying to decide on a specialty but I think its an interesting topic. I am really curious because I'm not interested in surgery or radiology, and I'm wondering what of the other specialities are difficult in terms of hours and also, level of competition.
Just something I wonder about.

Pathology probably has best hours, usually 8-5, few weekends, and rare call.
Emergency medicine isn't terrible in terms of hours, but remember even though the # of hours may be less, they are erratic (switching back and forth b/w day and night shifts). Oh yeah, and derm is pretty sweet too. You will find the worst hours in general surgery, ortho, and neurosurg, and ob/gyn is pretty bad too. IMO, all other specialties fall somewhere in the middle. Also remember there is quite a bit of variation b/w different programs even within the same specialty.

 

[Poety]

psych, need I say more 😀

 

[DropkickMurphy]

psych, need I say more 😀

But remember that psych doesn't lead to the the best paycheck for the amount of crap you put up with in regards to what they do. 😉

 

[neutropenic]

I think this is an interesting article from JAMA:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/290/9/1173

Or better yet just jump to this slide:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/290/9/1173/TABLEJOC30309T1

 

[Poety]

But remember that psych doesn't lead to the the best paycheck for the amount of crap you put up with in regards to what they do. 😉

So true, however, I can easily live off 134k 😉

 

[Amy]

I am just wondering...what are the easiest residencies in terms of work responsibilies and hours, and what are the more difficult ones (by reputation)? I suppose you get an idea during clinicals, but I'm just wondering what most people think about this topic. I am not even in medical school, so its not like I'm trying to decide on a specialty but I think its an interesting topic. I am really curious because I'm not interested in surgery or radiology, and I'm wondering what of the other specialities are difficult in terms of hours and also, level of competition.
Just something I wonder about.

I would caution you against letting RESIDENCY lifestyle guide your choice of specialty. Focus more on what you'll be doing after residency.

 

[SoCuteMD]

So true, however, I can easily live off 134k 😉

I could, but it wouldn't cover the massive amounts of therapy I would need to recover from being a psychiatrist.

Differences are what make the world go 'round, and THANK GOODNESS.

As an aside, we have these sessions with the psych residents where we interview patients. I'm thoroughly convinced that at least half the patients I meet are malingering. Sigh...I should really work on the cynicism.

 

[mackie]

Or better yet just jump to this slide:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/290/9/1173/TABLEJOC30309T1

Average hours/wk:
Gen surg 60 😕
Orthopedics 58 😕

That's kind of low, isn't it?

 

[Poety]

I could, but it wouldn't cover the massive amounts of therapy I would need to recover from being a psychiatrist.

Differences are what make the world go 'round, and THANK GOODNESS.

As an aside, we have these sessions with the psych residents where we interview patients. I'm thoroughly convinced that at least half the patients I meet are malingering. Sigh...I should really work on the cynicism.

Actually, I think you're intuitions are probably dead on - half of them probably are 😉 problem is, we have to treat if they say the key words pfffttt 😴

 

[deleted50478]

Those hours are probably not including call from home. No call from home is one of the reasons anesthesiology beats surgery in lifestyle despite equal hours on that chart. It also doesn't give the time of day worked which is why EM looks pretty good even though it sucks working all those nights (imo).

Sorry to point out the obvious. 😳

 

[neutropenic]

Those hours are probably not including call from home. No call from home is one of the reasons anesthesiology beats surgery in lifestyle despite equal hours on that chart.

At a community hospital I went to there is no anesthesia in house after 5pm so call is from home for anesthesia.

That being said, probably better lifestyle than surgery, but out in the boonies no in house anesthesia means anesthesia still has to go in for emergent cases (from home call).

 

[Nutmeg1621]

Average hours/wk:
Gen surg 60 😕
Orthopedics 58 😕

That's kind of low, isn't it?

From what I have heard those work hours are common for those specialties after residency.

Thanks for showing us that site too. I guess it's true what they say about people having different ideas about what is "lifestyle friendly."

As far as residency for General Surgery most programs are 12 hour shifts it seems (if there isn't some long complicated surgery), and you are on call every 3 days (meaning you stay at the hospital and don't go home until 9-12 the next day). I could be wrong and if I am please correct me.

I got this information from scutwork and other threads.

When choosing a specialty it is more important to look at life after residency, b/c most residencies are hell.

 

[Amy]

As far as residency for General Surgery most programs are 12 hour shifts it seems (if there isn't some long complicated surgery), and you are on call every 3 days (meaning you stay at the hospital and don't go home until 9-12 the next day). I could be wrong and if I am please correct me.

Not sure what you mean by "shifts." The only shift workers are EM residents/docs. We (I'm a surgery resident) go in early in the morning (say, anywhere from 5-7 AM) and stay until the work is done. It might be 2 PM, it might be 8 PM. Then of course when you're on call you stay all night, which averages out to about q3 or q4.

 

[Nutmeg1621]

Not sure what you mean by "shifts." The only shift workers are EM residents/docs. We go in early in the morning (say, anywhere from 5-7 AM) and stay until the work is done. It might be 2 PM, it might be 8 PM. Then of course when you're on call you stay all night, which averages out to about q3 or q4.

I'm sorry I didn't mean shifts, I meant it seems like they work an average of 12 hours.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I'm sorry I didn't mean shifts, I meant it seems like they work an average of 12 hours.

An average would imply that there are days less than 12 hrs in length - not very many, IMHO.

 

[Apollyon]

At Duke, with just a few exceptions, all PGY-2 and higher do "shift work" for surgery (due to work hour restrictions). There will be a "night chief" in house, and there is a "super senior" that covers trauma, transplant, vascular, and peds overnight. The signout consistently happens around 1800, but, of course, complex transplants and GI cases can go further into the evening. Each of those services comes back to life with their own team during the day at 0600.

It's a similar situation with Ortho - day trauma and night person (who has some added stuff on the floor), with a senior on home call (who's usually on sports or in the lab) that comes in strictly to operate (score!). The night person will take a 24 hour call on Friday, and an off-service senior takes a 24 hour call on Saturday.

Interns are on Q3 or Q4 call, and the surgery senior on Saturday will do a 24.

So, shift work in surgery can happen.

 

[randomedstudent]

Average hours/wk:
Gen surg 60 😕
Orthopedics 58 😕

That's kind of low, isn't it?

Ummm, I'm pretty sure those hours are post-residency. In gen. surg or ortho residency you will work at least 80 hours a week most weeks and often still 100+ (so much for the 80 hr. work week!).