Residency hours

[futuredentalstudent2024]

What are hours like for residents? Is it like medical residents working 80+ hours? I assume OMFS and GPRS are, but what about the other specialties?

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[LegendaryPanda]

OMFS could run anywhere from 60-100+ hours. Others like GPR, etc, are 40-55 hrs at most.

 

[SuxDrugs&Rocuronium]

Anesthesia is usually 55-65 hrs/week. I write this in the OR at 3:30 AM on hour 15 of a call shift

 

[prosth26]

Prosth is program dependent, but in generally 60-100 hours per week. I usually run 80-100 normally.

 

[yappy]

Depends on the program. Residents at my dental school commented on the amount of study time they spent outside of their clinic and lab schedules for classes, tests, reading assignments and research. Others said their residency was more like a job where you prepare on your own and just put in the work.

 

[axiumgod]

Prosth is program dependent, but in generally 60-100 hours per week. I usually run 80-100 normally.

Can you elaborate on what you’re doing that leads to these hours?

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Can you elaborate on what you’re doing that leads to these hours?

Probably lab work.

Big Hoss

 

[prosth26]

Yup, it's mainly lab work. I see patients from your normal hours in the day usually with classes sprinkled here and there (for example we may have current literature review from 7:45-9 AM then patients from 9-12, ortho-prosth seminar from 12-1, patients from 1-5). And because prosth is a restorative specialty, we have to engage with all specialists in terms of collab seminars. There isn't enough time in the day for us to do that so we have many seminars like perio-prosth, endo-prosth after hours like 5-7 PM. We also have to occasionally lecture to GPR residents after hours as well. This is not including lab work, studying or presentation making.

My usual day is 8-5 is normal class/patient hours (8-7 if we have specialty collab seminars). Then lab work until around 11-midnight, then literature reading and presentation making from 11ish-2ish AM (if I have less lab work, I usually am trying to catch up on literature since I'm always behind). Rinse and repeat. Again, not all programs are like this and some programs don't really have you doing too much lab work. There are programs I interviewed at that their residents leave at 5/6 PM everyday as well. I specifically chose an intensive program so I could learn as much as I could then when I go out, I'll be chilling (hopefully lol).

*I also did not include weekends. I am usually there both Saturday and Sundays catching up on lab work as well.

 

[futuredentalstudent2024]

Yup, it's mainly lab work. I see patients from your normal hours in the day usually with classes sprinkled here and there (for example we may have current literature review from 7:45-9 AM then patients from 9-12, ortho-prosth seminar from 12-1, patients from 1-5). And because prosth is a restorative specialty, we have to engage with all specialists in terms of collab seminars. There isn't enough time in the day for us to do that so we have many seminars like perio-prosth, endo-prosth after hours like 5-7 PM. We also have to occasionally lecture to GPR residents after hours as well. This is not including lab work, studying or presentation making.

My usual day is 8-5 is normal class/patient hours (8-7 if we have specialty collab seminars). Then lab work until around 11-midnight, then literature reading and presentation making from 11ish-2ish AM (if I have less lab work, I usually am trying to catch up on literature since I'm always behind). Rinse and repeat. Again, not all programs are like this and some programs don't really have you doing too much lab work. There are programs I interviewed at that their residents leave at 5/6 PM everyday as well. I specifically chose an intensive program so I could learn as much as I could then when I go out, I'll be chilling (hopefully lol).

*I also did not include weekends. I am usually there both Saturday and Sundays catching up on lab work as well.

Wow, I was really interested in prosthodontics especially because I've gone through many maxillofacial prosthetics as a patient myself, but that schedule is pretty deterring.

 

[Saddleshoes]

Remember the name Resident!
----- It means you live there!

 

[OncePreDent]

Remember the name Resident!
----- It means you live there!

Curious for Ortho and Peds Residency

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Curious for Ortho and Peds Residency

As a peds resident, I was maybe putting in 60-80 hours a week.

Big Hoss

 

[prosth26]

Wow, I was really interested in prosthodontics especially because I've gone through many maxillofacial prosthetics as a patient myself, but that schedule is pretty deterring.

Keep in mind that any specialty, a huge chunk of your patients are patients/cases that are too difficult for GPs to handle or cases that have messed up. To be comfortable on these types of cases as well as complications, you really have to put in the hours. Prosth is very intensive on your body because there is just so much information you have to manage as a restorative dentist as a resident. I love my surgical team colleagues, but usually they are only responsible for the surgery. As residents we also have to manage the surgery plan because we have to restore the prostheses later (and because the surgical team is usually inexperienced vs private practice), so not only are you there on surgery days (to make sure the implants are in the correct orientation/location, the alveoplasty/alveolectomy have enough reduction in the right locations and amount, etc.), you have to be there after to finish the prostheses when the surgery team leaves.

It is a very demanding specialty (much like other specialties) and its not as "prestigious" as other specialties which deters a lot of people. Additionally, the pay after graduating is not as nice as other specialties on average. It's the least popular specialty out of the major specialties and usually attracts a certain type of person. Personally, I find it extremely rewarding and would choose this again 10/10 times if I went back in time.