Specialties that commonly have three 12 hour shifts/week

[Perforin]

I know this is possible in most fields, if you set up your own gig or arrange it with a group or whatever, but what specialties commonly have people working 3 12 hour work days/ week. That seems absolutely dreamy to me. I know they would be long days, but you would have 4 days off per week!

I know that ER is one such specialty. Any others out there where this is common?

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[J ROD]

I know this is possible in most fields, if you set up your own gig or arrange it with a group or whatever, but what specialties commonly have people working 3 12 hour work days/ week. That seems absolutely dreamy to me. I know they would be long days, but you would have 4 days off per week!

I know that ER is one such specialty. Any others out there where this is common?

Hospitalist is shift work...but usually are 7on/7off....

nurses do the 3 12's..👍

 

[scrubswannabe]

its not a medical specialty but i think pharmacy has this frequently

 

[J ROD]

its not a medical specialty but i think pharmacy has this frequently

most retail places do....12 or 14 hr shifts...

but it usually goes like 3 days one week and 4 days the next week...really depends...

Plus, you alternate weekends unless you can get a floater to cover them...

 

[Perforin]

Hospitalist is shift work...but usually are 7on/7off....

nurses do the 3 12's..👍

Hmmm. I wouldn't mind the 7on/7off thing at all. I like working long shifts, always have.

I don't even know why I bring this up. Probably just trying to stay positive and see the light at the end of the tunnel (I'm a 2nd year). I can't wait until I have time to do the things I want to do. I can't wait to be a physician either, but I sure do miss golfing, skiing, my kid, my wife, etc...

 

[J ROD]

Hmmm. I wouldn't mind the 7on/7off thing at all. I like working long shifts, always have.

I don't even know why I bring this up. Probably just trying to stay positive and see the light at the end of the tunnel (I'm a 2nd year). I can't wait until I have time to do the things I want to do. I can't wait to be a physician either, but I sure do miss golfing, skiing, my kid, my wife, etc...

Once you get established as an attending, you can usually get some type of work/life balance....dont let the fear of never having time for other stuff make you pick a specialty you love over one that just has better, perceived hrs...

👍

 

[Perforin]

Once you get established as an attending, you can usually get some type of work/life balance....dont let the fear of never having time for other stuff make you pick a specialty you love over one that just has better, perceived hrs...

👍

I'll look forward to that balance. And advice noted. Lifestyle (not the money, I just don't want to work 60+ hours a week. 40-50 is my range) will play a part in my decision of specialty, but it isn't my major deciding factor. If it were, I would take ER! I have quite a few ER friends that love the hours. But, after visiting the ER and talking with them about what they do I've realized I wouldn't be as happy in the ER as doing something else.

 

[J ROD]

I'll look forward to that balance. And advice noted. Lifestyle (not the money, I just don't want to work 60+ hours a week. 40-50 is my range) will play a part in my decision of specialty, but it isn't my major deciding factor. If it were, I would take ER! I have quite a few ER friends that love the hours. But, after visiting the ER and talking with them about what they do I've realized I wouldn't be as happy in the ER as doing something else.

I volunteered in an ER and loved it....it matches my personality!! 😍

 

[howelljolly]

Nearly every specialty can be set up for good hours, at the expense of salary.

The specialties that are easily set up for 9-5 include RadOnc, radiology, pathology and any outpatient primary care.

Specialties that do shift work are generally hospital based: EM, CCM, OB and Hospitalist. As has been said, Hospitalist is often one week on - one week off, at 12 hour shifts each day/night. The OB docs where I rotated did a couple of 24 hour shifts a week. EM docs dont always do just 3 shifts a week... a lot of the ones I know do two or three 12 hours, plus a couple of 4-8 hour shifts which are set during the busy time of day (early evening).

 

[la petite mort]

Nearly every specialty can be set up for good hours, at the expense of salary.

The specialties that are easily set up for 9-5 include RadOnc, radiology, pathology and any outpatient primary care

Psych too I believe, in private practice obviously.

 

[J ROD]

Psych too I believe, in private practice obviously.

Psy was really laid back....and the hrs were not too bad from what I saw.

 

[TMP-SMX]

I volunteered in an ER and loved it....it matches my personality!! 😍

A lack of an attention span? 😉

 

[la petite mort]

A lack of an attention span? 😉

Disorganized, frightening, smelly, covered in stab wounds?

 

[MossPoh]

Rads is becoming more and more intense with workload. If you are in a nice practice with productive partners it can be 9 to 5 with some time on call before a night hawk service takes over. That being said, when the radiologists in my hometown work they get in around 6 or 7 a.m. and leave around 7 p.m. That is for 6+ weeks before they hire a locum or someone to cover for a bit during vacation.

 

[scrubswannabe]

Rads is becoming more and more intense with workload. If you are in a nice practice with productive partners it can be 9 to 5 with some time on call before a night hawk service takes over. That being said, when the radiologists in my hometown work they get in around 6 or 7 a.m. and leave around 7 p.m. That is for 6+ weeks before they hire a locum or someone to cover for a bit during vacation.

do you know how much they make?

 

[BennieBlanco]

Disorganized, frightening, smelly, covered in stab wounds?

A lack of an attention span? 😉

 

[fahimaz7]

do you know how much they make?

My father-in-law is an IR Neuro Radiologist.. In a private practice with 13 partners, he works 160 days/year (avg shift is 8-4) and pulls in a cool $400k before bonuses.

 

[J ROD]

yeah, pretty much....😛

 

[Geekchick921]

*Pokes in from pre-allo*

Laborists (OB hospitalists) do shift work, though I think they are usually more like 1 or 2 24-hour shifts a week.

 

[howelljolly]

My father-in-law is an IR Neuro Radiologist.. In a private practice with 13 partners, he works 160 days/year (avg shift is 8-4) and pulls in a cool $400k before bonuses.

Well that's because hes an interventional neuroradiologist.

 

[J ROD]

*Pokes in from pre-allo*

Laborists (OB hospitalists) do shift work, though I think they are usually more like 1 or 2 24-hour shifts a week.

Laborists....

never heard of that one before...😀

 

[howelljolly]

Nearly every specialty can be set up for good hours, at the expense of salary.

The specialties that are easily set up for 9-5 include RadOnc, radiology, pathology and any outpatient primary care.

Specialties that do shift work are generally hospital based: EM, CCM, OB and Hospitalist. As has been said, Hospitalist is often one week on - one week off, at 12 hour shifts each day/night. The OB docs where I rotated did a couple of 24 hour shifts a week. EM docs dont always do just 3 shifts a week... a lot of the ones I know do two or three 12 hours, plus a couple of 4-8 hour shifts which are set during the busy time of day (early evening).

Told you so.

 

[Geekchick921]

Laborists....

never heard of that one before...😀

Dost thou not believe me? Google it, my friend. It's fairly new. I've actually seen it talked about on SDN, too.

 

[fahimaz7]

Well that's because hes an interventional neuroradiologist.

All of his partner's are paid on the same scale. Each of the 14 has a fellowship of some sort, and they all get paid based on what days they work (1 credit for m-f 8-4, 1.5 for 9-6, 2.5 for weekend, 3 for nighttime, etc).

Some of his colleagues are making well over $750 in base salary, and they are body imagers.

 

[J ROD]

Dost thou not believe me? Google it, my friend. It's fairly new. I've actually seen it talked about on SDN, too.

I believe...you all....I just have never heard the term before.....😳

 

[J ROD]

All of his partner's are paid on the same scale. Each of the 14 has a fellowship of some sort, and they all get paid based on what days they work (1 credit for m-f 8-4, 1.5 for 9-6, 2.5 for weekend, 3 for nighttime, etc).

Some of his colleagues are making well over $750 in base salary, and they are body imagers.

Sounds 😍

 

[Geekchick921]

I believe...you all....I just have never heard the term before.....😳

It's a fairly new model, in the last decade or so, but I believe it's starting to catch on. From my understanding, it helps decrease burn-out and lowers hospital costs (having an OB in-house 24/7 doing shifts can also help decrease C/S and increase VBAC rates).

 

[J ROD]

It's a fairly new model, in the last decade or so, but I believe it's starting to catch on. From my understanding, it helps decrease burn-out and lowers hospital costs (having an OB in-house 24/7 doing shifts can also help decrease C/S and increase VBAC rates).

I probably dont know much about it since OB is not one of my favs....😀

 

[Geekchick921]

I probably dont know much about it since OB is not one of my favs....😀

And it's the specialty I'm most interested in. 😉

The fact that there is no office overhead, the hospital pays for your malpractice, and, most importantly, that it's a shift job appeals to me greatly. I just don't know how I'd feel about not having a prolonged relationship with my patients, ya know? I've got awhile before I've got to make a decision about it (and, well, I need to get in somewhere!), but we'll see. I know after I do clerkships I might want to do a completely different specialty.

 

[J ROD]

And it's the specialty I'm most interested in. 😉

The fact that there is no office overhead, the hospital pays for your malpractice, and, most importantly, that it's a shift job appeals to me greatly. I just don't know how I'd feel about not having a prolonged relationship with my patients, ya know? I've got awhile before I've got to make a decision about it (and, well, I need to get in somewhere!), but we'll see. I know after I do clerkships I might want to do a completely different specialty.

Come and see me in the ER!! 👍

 

[Geekchick921]

ER appeals to me, but not hugely. I've always been really interested in development and pregnancy and whatnot so Ob what I picture myself doing the most. The only thing I've totally ruled out is Ophthalmology, because eyes freak me out!

 

[J ROD]

ER appeals to me, but not hugely. I've always been really interested in development and pregnancy and whatnot so Ob what I picture myself doing the most. The only thing I've totally ruled out is Ophthalmology, because eyes freak me out!

I like being the first line of defense and enjoy the variety.....

 

[WashMe]

My father-in-law is an IR Neuro Radiologist.. In a private practice with 13 partners, he works 160 days/year (avg shift is 8-4) and pulls in a cool $400k before bonuses.

YEEEESSSS!!!!! 😀

Well that's because hes an interventional neuroradiologist.

That's my plan

All of his partner's are paid on the same scale. Each of the 14 has a fellowship of some sort, and they all get paid based on what days they work (1 credit for m-f 8-4, 1.5 for 9-6, 2.5 for weekend, 3 for nighttime, etc).

Some of his colleagues are making well over $750 in base salary, and they are body imagers.

Somebody help me pick my tongue up off the floor and put it back in my mouth

 

[scrubswannabe]

YEEEESSSS!!!!! 😀



That's my plan



Somebody help me pick my tongue up off the floor and put it back in my mouth

I'm with you on this - thats my dream job

 

[DoctwoB]

Do intensivists work on shift schedules and if so does anyone know the general schedule?

 

[howelljolly]

Do intensivists work on shift schedules and if so does anyone know the general schedule?

Yes, it depends on the setup.

In some ICUs they are on 12 hour shifts, which may be day only, or day/night. This usually happens in the larger "closed" ICUs, when they want more MD coverage.

In some ICUs they might have a shift of some other length... 8.... 10 hours.

In some ICUs they are only there for a few hours (as long as at takes to see all the patients once). Its not really a shift... just ICU rounds. This is more common if the intensivist has something else to do - like pulmonary consults, or passing gas.

 

[NTF]

NICU and PICU docs also do shiftwork.

 

[howelljolly]

NICU and PICU docs also do shiftwork.

Yup, and theres peds hospitalist, peds ER, peds-everything else. A lot of people seem to forget that most things that they think of in adult med are also in Peds.

 

[NTF]

Yup, and theres peds hospitalist, peds ER, peds-everything else. A lot of people seem to forget that most things that they think of in adult med are also in Peds.

Very true.

 

[J ROD]

peds is a no go for me.....😱

 

[mvenus929]

Psych too I believe, in private practice obviously.

We have a pysch position posted at our hospital... M-F with some mandatory call. They're not specific to the shifts, but I don't think I've ever seen a psychiatrist in there even in the morning during our morning run.

Yup, and theres peds hospitalist, peds ER, peds-everything else. A lot of people seem to forget that most things that they think of in adult med are also in Peds.

😍

 

[4everstudentmd]

Peds-ED would be great. Most of the benefits of being a pediatrician minus the well-child checks and ADHD questionnaires

 

[howelljolly]

Peds-ED would be great. Most of the benefits of being a pediatrician minus the well-child checks and ADHD questionnaires

Have you done peds-ER? 80% of the kids I saw in my Peds-ER block were not sick.... at all.....

 

[Powdermonkey]

Have you done peds-ER? 80% of the kids I saw in my Peds-ER block were not sick.... at all.....

Yeah, but how many people who come into the adult ER are sick... at all?

 

[Rendar5]

Yeah, but how many people who come into the adult ER are sick... at all?

Take a look at the admission rates from various sectiosn of the ED. adults in general at academic centers have a 15-25% admission rate, not counting fast track patients. And of those who aren't admitted, a ton have pre-existing illness. I'd say the minority of ED patients are truly well with symptoms that aren't concerning enough to workup. As opposed to "fever of 103 for 2 hours" or "cough x3 days and didn't get better with a day of antibiotics" or "tummy ache" that sin't concerning enough to do any testing. I say this as someone who loves peds EM and is an EM resident. Pediatric shifts I do have a very healthy patient population that rarely needs much of a workup. The majority of the adult population needs a workup and labs.

 

[howelljolly]

Have you done peds-ER? 80% of the kids I saw in my Peds-ER block were not sick.... at all.....

What I mean by this is the large number of parents who bring their kids in because...

they regurgitated a little after feeding
their poo changed color
they sneezed once... 3 hours ago
another kid at school was out sick... so they just want their kid "checked out"
the kid has a fever... last tylenol given 2 days ago