Specific Neurosurgery questions

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Hiyalol

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I AM RE-POSTING THIS BECAUSE I POSTED IN THE WRONG SECTION

I am not a medical student yet, still in the process of just getting more ECs but I wanted to know about the family life of a neurosurgeon. But in my situation you may think this is "for the moment" but let's say this is the situation. For me I will not have a family in the future so I'm open to neuro as an option but I am still going to be involved with my friends and their families. I want to know...

1. How many times is a neurosurgeon on-call each week?
2. For any neurosurgeons out there that are practicing and NOT in residency because I know that in residency they work so much and in practice they do as well but it's not 120-140 hour weeks. Do you see your kids? What about go to their games? Because as an uncle I would like to go visit my friend's family each week sometime but if I go home at 10 PM and wake up at 3:30 AM to go back to work when can I see my own friend's families and spend time with them? I don't require every single day but just maybe 1-2 days in a week to see them and spend a few hours with them. Will this be possible?
3. How much vacation do you get?
4. When being on-call I read the next day you are off? So how are you working 80+ hours a week? Work weekends all the time or are you on-call on the weekends?

Appreciate your input to any resident in NS there thanks :)

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I AM RE-POSTING THIS BECAUSE I POSTED IN THE WRONG SECTION

I am not a medical student yet, still in the process of just getting more ECs but I wanted to know about the family life of a neurosurgeon. But in my situation you may think this is "for the moment" but let's say this is the situation. For me I will not have a family in the future so I'm open to neuro as an option but I am still going to be involved with my friends and their families. I want to know...

1. How many times is a neurosurgeon on-call each week?
2. For any neurosurgeons out there that are practicing and NOT in residency because I know that in residency they work so much and in practice they do as well but it's not 120-140 hour weeks. Do you see your kids? What about go to their games? Because as an uncle I would like to go visit my friend's family each week sometime but if I go home at 10 PM and wake up at 3:30 AM to go back to work when can I see my own friend's families and spend time with them? I don't require every single day but just maybe 1-2 days in a week to see them and spend a few hours with them. Will this be possible?
3. How much vacation do you get?
4. When being on-call I read the next day you are off? So how are you working 80+ hours a week? Work weekends all the time or are you on-call on the weekends?

Appreciate your input to any resident in NS there thanks :)

I'm a med student who has rotated on neurosurgery and has good connections to my department. Here's my 2 cents:

1. Typically once per week as a resident, varies as an attending. Look at job boards or residency web sites.
2. The days of 120 hours/week are over. I definitely believe the war stories about residency in the old days, but work hour restrictions are taken very seriously now. My school's program is one of the busier residencies with an 88 hour/week exception, but the leadership is very committed to making this a strict limit. You do see your kids; a few residents in our program have kids, work very efficiently and get out by 6-7 PM, and see them most nights of the week. It'll be hard to go to your kid's soccer game if it's on a weekday afternoon obviously.
3. Typically 4 weeks/year for any residency. Look at CIM website.
4. 24+4 hours is the max time you're technically allowed to be in the hospital as a resident. A busy resident schedule might be 15 hours x 4 days + 24+4 hours = 88 hours. The hours are better as an attending. For example, residents at my hospital arrive at 5 AM every day. Attendings typically arrive after 7 AM since cases start at 7:30 AM.

Honestly, it is way too early for you to be thinking about neurosurgery. Just learn everything in med school and keep an open mind.
 
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