Residency life info

[futureDr.]

Hello everyone.I am new and am looking for information on residency life. What is the first year like in terms of calls, hours, time off, vacation allowance. I'm interested in psychiatry which I know involves 6 mo of internal med which I've heard horror stories about. Anyway, any residency stories and opinions on psych would be greatly appreciated.

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[RLMD]

wrong forum, try the residency forum

 

[futureDr.]

Since no one has responded to me in the residency forum, does anyone know of a website or another forum where I can get info on residency life?

 

[KyGrlDr2B]

Moving to residency forum.

 

[Skrubz]

Hello everyone.I am new and am looking for information on residency life. What is the first year like in terms of calls, hours, time off, vacation allowance. I'm interested in psychiatry which I know involves 6 mo of internal med which I've heard horror stories about. Anyway, any residency stories and opinions on psych would be greatly appreciated.

Well, life as an intern varies wildly from program to program and from specialty to specialty. Ostensibly, everyone is now limited by the ACGME to an 80 hour work week (is it average or per week?) with no more than 30 consecutive hours at work.

Intern call in IM is typically anywhere from Q3-Q6 depending on whether you're on the wards or in the unit and depending on the program itself. My current program is Q4 both on the wards and in the unit. The amount of call months also varies by program. I interviewed at some that had 11 months of call, others have as little as 6 (that I know of).

Daily hours are probably 6:30a to anywhere from 4p - 6p on the wards, longer in the unit, shorter on consult services or in clinic.

Vacation is anywhere from 2-4 weeks, varying by program.

Honestly, a medicine internship isn't really that bad. I would think that a surgery internship is much rougher. One of my former roommates is a gen surg intern and he's Q3 for the entire year.

 

[Gerota]

surgery Program directors may say 80 hours and 30 max, having done 40 straight and 100 a week.....I can say thats bull****. The work has to get done and if you dont do it you can expect your co-intern to get killed doing 2X the work or you senior residents to be pissed doing intern level work.

 

[Leukocyte]

I rotated with residents in 6 different residency programs (OBGYN, IM, GS, FP, PEDS, PSYCH) in NJ, NY, and CT. I can tell you that from my experience "the 80 hour rule" DOES NOT really exist, except for FP and Psych. The interns in IM and General Surgery work the hardist and put in well above 100 hours/week. I, as a student worked more than 100 hours/week since I was required to be with my intern at all times.

Yes, yes, the senior residents "will try" to "convince" you to go home by 10am on your post call day, and after sign-out on regular days, but IN REALLITY, if you leave behind unfinished work, your fellow residents and seniors will be very very very pissed.

From my experince in those 6 different residency programs, Interns in IM and GS:

1) Did not have a weekend off during the first 3 months of residency.

2) Usually leave around 8pm on regular days (sign-out is a 5pm).

3) Usually leave around 1pm on post-call days ("on paper" it is 10am).

4) Work well over 100 Hours per week ("on paper" it is 80 hours ).

5) On call q3 on avarage.

 

[Annette]

Maybe because I'm at an IM "community" program, it isn't so bad. We get kicked out at noon, if not released sooner post call. Yes, people are unhappy about having worked signed out, but they get to sign out work as well. People are doing themselves a diservice if they gripe about getting work signed out to them. The only trouble we had was in the ICU, and now the attendings will kick you out as well. The program is VERY careful about the new rules since Hopkins was yanked.

The first months you will be slow, things will take longer. The residents and attendings know and should expect this. You will soon speed up and become more efficient.

 

[roja]

Disagree about IM in NYC. On my unit months, we were kicked out exactly at 10am, post call. On other days, we often left between 2-4pm starting around 7am. I have many friends in IM and at our hospital, thier ward months depend on what call they are on... long call, short call, night float. They all definately keep the 80 hr/week. I think the first month or two, they probably work more secondary to ineffective work habits, but they adapt quickly.

There is no one awnser to this. You should prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Assume that your internship year will be horrendous and you will be pleasantly surprised when it isn't to bad.

Of course, EM life is the best.