My own schedule as an intern was great. I'm a resident at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson-Camden--(but I'm actually in Atlantic City-the Camden residents have the option of going there)
For clarification, there are 2 UMDNJ-RWJ programs-1 is in New Brunswick, one is in Camden, and again, if you go to the Camden program, about 1/3 of the residents are given the option to work in Atlantic City instead of Camden.
Interns are on call about 5 times a month, and have to do weekend call once a month.
Call starts 5pm, ends 10 pm. You get to go home afterwards, though you do have to answer beeps throughout the night should they happen.
(The Camden residents are supposed to do all nighter calls)
All in all-work averages about 50-60 hrs a week your first 2 years.
You can still have a life in my program. This is not the case in all psychiatry programs. Several programs I've seen in urban areas have their residents working just as much as surgery and Ob-gyn residents.
Residents from my program do go on to good fellowships as well. All in all not bad.
I wrote a review of the program on scutwork.com
http://www.scutwork.com/cgi-bin/links/review.cgi?ID=641&d=1
Heck if you read my review, one of my only complaints
(if you can call it that) is the program is easy. Some people need the stick to make them do things like study.
I do advise that you choose which field not simply based on residency hours. Residency is only a few years of your life. Your professional career will last decades.
I do agree with you on surgery & Ob-gyn hours. Several people I've seen went into those fields for the money. Yeah well they don't pay as well these days, and I know plenty of surgeons & Ob-Gyn docs that flush their money away because they're too tired to manage it-E.g. bad investments, paying higher prices at the car dealership, their wife leaves them because they're never home-the wife cheats on them, then ends up taking half their money. Their residencies work them crazy hours and when they become attendings the hours still are bad.
