Just to reinforce this point. There are program to program variations on what constitutes a sick day and is usually defined by a policy. In my program sick time is time for sickness. Dr's visits etc come from a personal time bucket.
I like to think of it like working a regular job. Anyone who's worked a job before medicine or has spouse or family that does, knows that people take sick days for a variety of reasons. Often because they just aren't feeling it that day. Though it's only an option on rotations where we aren't essential.
If you're fortunate enough to have an employer who offers sick time, then know that employer's policy and follow it. Notify the people who need to be notified in a timely manner. Treat it like a job for which you would like to be rehired.
Exactly. I would have doctor appointments for that day. Thats why i could justify using a sick day in advance
Oh, you will find that same degree of bureaucracy and oversight even in the jobs with health systems. The med director, office manager all need to sign off on it, and some policy some where in the health system also says you have to submit them 60, 90, 120 days in advance. And because it is a group there may rules about the clinic always needing to be open, so that means not every can take time off for the APA conference, or other key holiday stretches. If you have inpatient obligations, add an extra layer of vacation issues to it.
Even though other employed jobs might have a paid time off, really its just stealing from your productivity, storing it, and redistributing later. You will be paid less for the comfort of saying you have a paid days off.
I remember that thread and found it outrageous people thought you should come to work actively vomiting. However, it's possible to err too far in the other direction. I would encourage anyone wondering about this topic (like the OP) to just remember that what's important in residency is being a team player. One of my residency classmates was notorious for calling out sick on even call nights with nothing more a head cold, requiring the backup call person, who hadn't thought they were going to be on call that night, to come in. While I wouldn't dream of coming in vomiting, or with a fever, even before med school, when I had an office job, it never occurred to me to call out sick with a mere head cold. Take some OTC cold medicine, keep a mug of tea on hand, and you can work with no problems.
Maybe a happy medium balance could be found? At residency we generally all felt pretty supportive of each other and almost NOBODY called out for mental health days at the EXPENSE of another resident. If they did it would be discussed with the other person in advance with appropriate coverage in return. Generally in those cases it'll be like "ya man sure thing!"
