Silly Question

[MichiMO]

When a residency program says its call is q3 or q4...what exactly does that mean? Like for q4, does it mean one night on and then three nights off? Sounds like it, but just want to make sure. I mean, some places are q2...which sounds like every other night. That would just be inhumane torture.

Also, when do you get to go home after spending a night on call? Does this vary by institution?

Thanks

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[Olanzapine]

Originally posted by MichiMO
When a residency program says its call is q3 or q4...what exactly does that mean? Like for q4, does it mean one night on and then three nights off? Sounds like it, but just want to make sure. I mean, some places are q2...which sounds like every other night. That would just be inhumane torture.

Also, when do you get to go home after spending a night on call? Does this vary by institution?

Thanks

Yup, one night on, then every other night off. I've never heard of a program that was q2. Many institutions are sending people home the night that they are on call to comply with the 80 hr work week (eg admit until 10pm, then night float takes over). Those that aren't are having to send post-call people home ~12 pm in order to comply with the 30 hr requirement.

 

[Skrubz]

Originally posted by MichiMO
Also, when do you get to go home after spending a night on call? Does this vary by institution?

also varies by specialty. anesthesia programs (all that i know of) send you home in the morning post-call and you get the entire day off. unless the program runs a night float system, where you would show up in the evening again. i've been told that some ob/gyn and gen surg programs are now sending people home in the morning as well.

 

[ID4me]

surgery programs used to go q2 in many places, but most of that has been cut back due to the new rules. still, on some "special occasions" some surgery programs will revert to q2, like during Christmas vacation season