vacation

Started by DrDimino
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DrDimino

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Ok so being brand new PGY-1, I'm very torn as to when to take vacation. I naturally thought around december or november to give a mid year break, but realized that it may be up to a year or so before I get any free time off. Does anybody out there have any idea as to when to take vacation? or what has worked for you guys in the past?

thanx🙂
 
hey, good question, I was thinking the same thing. About vacation, do we really get 4 weeks off? that's sounds like a lot. I looked up the intern rotation schedule and it looks like I got 12 1-month rotations. I guess this vacation time is program dependent and has to be worked out with the chief. At my home program, one of the residents confided in me that although he's supposed to get 4 weeks, in reality he only gets like 1, so so do the rest of the residents. I hope this is not true, is this common? Again, I realize it might be different for other programs, I'm just wondering whether vacation is a myth in residency or not.
 
The amount of vacation and when you can take it vary from program to program. I got 3 weeks, but some places get 4 weeks; in some places a "week" is 7 days, in some places its both "bumper weekends" so you would actually get 9 days, in other places your first day of vacation you would be post- call, etc.

Some places make you take vacation in a block (ie, all 4 weeks at a time), some won't let you take more than 1 week at a time.

Your schedule shows 12 - 1 month blocks, because it is assumed you will take some vacation during some of the blocks. There may be rules about when you can and can't take vacation - common ones would be: "no vacation during July or December", "you must take vacation during electives" etc.

I never had a problem getting or taking my vacation but I know some of my colleagues did...but I attribute that to the fact that some of them just didn't take it off...felt "guilty" about leaving or didn't want to miss some of the rotation. But that doesn't mean I would be suprised to find some programs conveniently "forget" to give residents vacation. This would have to be taken up with the GME office if there is a problem - vacation is the same as any other benefit offered during residency, IMHO.
 
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At least you get to choose. My 3 weeks are preassigned. Yeah.
 
After working 18 hours on my birthday intern year, that became one of my vacations. I get 4 weeks, and space them approximately 3 months apart. The other consideration is whether you have a preference for how you spend vacation. Is a desired location cheaper at some time of year? Do you want to go to an event? Do you want to visit friends and have to coordinate with them? These thoughts have determined my vacation schedules for the most part.
 
Good question.

If you are fortunate enough to get to choose your vacations, space them out. And request at the very beginning of the new residency year. It is easier to get your first choice of vacation time if you get your request approved very early. If you wait too long to request vacation, someone else may already be scheduled to be off during your desired time.

I would not recommend taking vacation in December as many programs will adopt a "holiday schedule" during Christmas and New Year. Typically you get a few days off for either holiday and then work the other. It's a nice break. Also, most services will not schedule elective cases over major holidays as the attendings like to take these holidays off. These periods tend to be less busy, and usually residents take turns going home early.
 
Last year, we only got 2 and they chose the weeks for us. We are albe to trade though, so that made it nice. That being said though...I would concur with Kim...spread it out so that just when you're about to run out of gas-->you go on vacation!
 
SteadyEddy said:
Last year, we only got 2 and they chose the weeks for us. We are albe to trade though, so that made it nice. That being said though...I would concur with Kim...spread it out so that just when you're about to run out of gas-->you go on vacation!
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I generally followed this schedule:

1st week around late September

then we would get 4 days in December (wouldn't count for vacation)

2nd week in February

3rd week in May

Evenly balanced, and since I didn't know in advance what rotations I was on, in what order, I couldn't use that as a schedule maker.

Now, if we'd gotten 4 weeks like every other resident in my hospital, that would have been really great!
 
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