What are your hours?

[TheLoneWolf]

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I am a CA-1 at a large university program where my schedule is waking up 0500, at hospital by 0600, finish about 1800 and have 5-6 24 hour calls per month. 60-70 hours per week. Wondering what usual hours are at different programs.

 

[GaseousClay]

Had similar hours as you from a big west coast program. Will get better in the coming years just try to get the most out of it you can.

 

[partydoc]

I avg 60-65 hrs per week

 

[Docuronium]

Large university program. 60-65 probably on average. Can touch 80 with a bad call schedule

 

[caligas]

Sounds a bit busier than average. So you are learning more than average.

 

[sheeed]

up at 530 am on the train by 6 and at work between 6:30 and 6:40. Usually done with most days between 4 and 6. Works out to about 2 24 hour and 2 18 hour calls a month. Ive never really calculated my hours. Can't really complain so I dont bother

 

[scudrunner]

Large Midwest program. Avg 55-60 hrs/wk. range 35-75.

 

[fakin' the funk]

Was at medium size West Coast program, 55-65 hrs/wk

 

[witzelsucht]

up at 530 am on the train by 6 and at work between 6:30 and 6:40.

Do you coffee/poop at home or wait until you get to hospital? You just don't want to coffee at home and not be able to poop, then have to poop on the train...but it doesn't seem like you have enough time to poop before cases if you don't arrive until 6:40...

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

Medium-size Midwest program. 50 (chronic pain) to 80+ (CCM) and everything in between. Usually 3 24+hr calls with 2-3 late calls. ICU can be up to 6-7 28-32hr calls if the resident pool is short that month.

 

[Ronin786]

Large midwest program. 6:30 at the hospital, leave anywhere from 2-8 depending on call schedule. 5-8 calls/month.

 

[projectpat]

Do you coffee/poop at home or wait until you get to hospital? You just don't want to coffee at home and not be able to poop, then have to poop on the train...but it doesn't seem like you have enough time to poop before cases if you don't arrive until 6:40...

Pucker up
Morning break is key

 

[sheeed]

Do you coffee/poop at home or wait until you get to hospital? You just don't want to coffee at home and not be able to poop, then have to poop on the train...but it doesn't seem like you have enough time to poop before cases if you don't arrive until 6:40...

LOL... I dont drink coffee.

and I usually wont have to poop until lunch time. Rare for me to poop in the morning. TMI ?

 

[agammaglobulin]

Resident here. Highly variable work hours, i would probably say anywhere from 55-75 hrs. Worst is ICU and some specialty months, best is general OR.

 

[p30doc]

Thus far I have logged 56-98 hrs. I Would say averaging 65-70. 4-8 24 hr calls/mo

 

[ZzzPlz]

I used to average 55-65 in general OR.

VA months were definitely <40. Good months.

My intern year I did a rotation on an Air Force base in sports medicine (in December). Barely broke 20 hours/week.

I work more and take way more call in private practice.

 

[Shinkansen]

med. midwest program: average 60 hours/week.

wake up 545, shower, do the coffee in car on way to hospital, get to hospital 620-630ish, first start cases at 730, out anywhere from 5-7. avg 60ish hours/week at university hospital, 2/3 of that at the VA.

 

[pgg]

I am a CA-1 at a large university program where my schedule is waking up 0500, at hospital by 0600, finish about 1800 and have 5-6 24 hour calls per month. 60-70 hours per week. Wondering what usual hours are at different programs.

What do you mean by "finish about 1800"?

Does that mean you're in an OR until 1800, or you're done with your preops for the next day by 1800?

My program was mid-60s when I was a resident. Not sure what it is now, but it's probably about the same. It was pretty unusual to be working in an OR past 1800 on a non-call day.

But there were many days, particularly the first 1/2 of my CA-1 year, when I was there late reading Jaffe and figuring out how to do tomorrow's case before calling the patient and then calling my staff to talk about it. As time goes on, room setup in the morning and preops in the evening get more efficient you can show up later and leave earlier.

 

[bigeyedfish]

You guys keep slugging away. You cannot become the best anesthesiologist you can be at 40 hours a week for 3 years.

 

[Pooh & Annie]

You guys keep slugging away. You cannot become the best anesthesiologist you can be at 40 hours a week for 3 years.

The type of cases is more important than the hours. 7am-3pm 5 days a week with good cases and plenty of home study could work just fine. asa 1 lap choles at 2 am might prepare you for a lifestyle, but I doubt they make you all that much better.

 

[MJM09]

Smaller program with mostly private hospitals and mostly private faculty and surgeons (high case volume, people hit their numbers pretty early on), 55-65 hrs/week average. 4-7 calls per month.

 

[pgg]

The type of cases is more important than the hours. 7am-3pm 5 days a week with good cases and plenty of home study could work just fine. asa 1 lap choles at 2 am might prepare you for a lifestyle, but I doubt they make you all that much better.

I agree with this ... sort of.

Most anesthesia is routine, even the good cases. We train to be able to handle rare events. Rare events happen infrequently. There's really no substitute for time doing cases.

 

[somedumbDO]

Get used to the hours, hours as an private practice attending are either the same or more...

 

[Shouldawouldacouldas]

Residency: Wake 5 am or earlier depending on the rotation. Set up room at 6am. Lecture from 630am to 7am. No breakfast; 15 minute morning break for crackers and milk; 30 minute lunch for crackers and milk; maybe an afternoon 15 minute break. Get out of room between 4-5pm. Go preop any inpatients on the list. Read about cases before calling the attending. Discuss cases with the attending over the phone. Finally leave hospital between 6 - 7 pm. That was CA-1 year. Call was q4 - q6 depending on the rotation. I don't recall call being too bad because no matter how bad it was, I knew I got the next day off to sleep in and then use the rest of the afternoon to read, workout, or go buy groceries.

Private Practice: Call q3. Call days we work from 7am and leave usually between 9pm - midnight. Get called back for an epidural or C-section between MN and 7am about 40-60% of the time. No post call day off except one Friday per month. Work post call from 7am to 3-5 pm. This is medical direction of 1:4. From 7am to maybe between 11am -130pm, our butts do not get to sit at our desks. About 2 pm, it is not so bad after that. It was much easier to just sit in a room and personally do 3-5 cases.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

You guys keep slugging away. You cannot become the best anesthesiologist you can be at 40 hours a week for 3 years.

Agree. Also, I hope CA1s are not sleeping through good learning cases. Sure, sleep through a lap chole, but if a liver is going on you oughta be there.

 

[deleted162650]

Private Practice: Call q3. Call days we work from 7am and leave usually between 9pm - midnight. Get called back for an epidural or C-section between MN and 7am about 40-60% of the time. No post call day off except one Friday per month. Work post call from 7am to 3-5 pm. This is medical direction of 1:4. From 7am to maybe between 11am -130pm, our butts do not get to sit at our desks. About 2 pm, it is not so bad after that. It was much easier to just sit in a room and personally do 3-5 cases.

If this is you're life you better be making metric **** tons of cash. I'm talking >700k, otherwise you're making metric **** tons of cash for someone else.

Life in PP is what you make it/what you want it to be. It's very doable to clear >300k working 35-40hrs/wk MD only even with a dog **** payer mix and no real subsidy (granted not a lot of vaca but with those hours you don't need a lot). Keep that in mind residents as you get out and start fielding job offers. Let it serve as a reference to those jobs that have you working 60+ hours/wk on roller skates covering 3-4 CRNA's for similar pay.

 

[gasthrowaway]

CA1 at a midwest program this board swears is malignant. Turns out my hours are on the lower end. 50-55 hrs a week, 2 24hr calls a month. Get in around 630, out anywhere from 2-530. Average day is 630-400.

 

[Pooh & Annie]

I agree with this ... sort of.

Most anesthesia is routine, even the good cases. We train to be able to handle rare events. Rare events happen infrequently. There's really no substitute for time doing cases.

I agree in the sense that doing more cases gives you more confidence. You need the cajones to tell everyone to stop whatever they're doing until you fix whatever's going on before it gets bad.

Other than that, I did my best learning the first couple years AFTER residency.

 

[Laryngophed]

CA1 small midwest program. I get to the hospital about 0530 set up/putz around until 0615. Meet the patient, consent, start by 0700. Done by 1600 in the OR most days. May have to do a preop or two if relieved by pre-op/late resident. Typically out of hospital by 1730. Spend 20-60 minutes looking up patients for next day, formulating plan, calling staff. Rinse and repeat. My class hasn't started taking call yet. Soon. About 60 hours a week right now, sans call.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

CA1 small midwest program. I get to the hospital about 0530 set up/putz around until 0615. Meet the patient, consent, start by 0700. Done by 1600 in the OR most days. May have to do a preop or two if relieved by pre-op/late resident. Typically out of hospital by 1730. Spend 20-60 minutes looking up patients for next day, formulating plan, calling staff. Rinse and repeat. My class hasn't started taking call yet. Soon. About 60 hours a week right now, sans call.

Why no call yet? We have juniors taking call starting 3rd week of July. There are always a junior and senior and someone for OB in house.

 

[bigeyedfish]

The type of cases is more important than the hours. 7am-3pm 5 days a week with good cases and plenty of home study could work just fine. asa 1 lap choles at 2 am might prepare you for a lifestyle, but I doubt they make you all that much better.

No way. If you skate out of the room at 3 every day you're not finishing those complex cases you started. Extubating that aneurysm clipping etc.

People do Asa 1 lap choles at 2 am?

 

[MJM09]

No way. If you skate out of the room at 3 every day you're not finishing those complex cases you started. Extubating that aneurysm clipping etc.

Depends on the OR schedule at your hospital. We often have those kind of cases starting early enough that the resident will be able to finish them and still leave for their 4pm lecture.

People do Asa 1 lap choles at 2 am?

Some people do... We have a couple surgeons notorious for adding on elective lap choles or lap appys in their apparent favorite hours of 10pm-3am.

 

[Twiggidy]

but it doesn't seem like you have enough time to poop before cases if you don't arrive until 6:40...

I don't care what ANYONE says....what nature calls, the case can wait, unless it's a ruptured AAA rolling in while I'm setting up

 

[Twiggidy]

I work more and take way more call in private practice.

Yep

 

[Pooh & Annie]

No way. If you skate out of the room at 3 every day you're not finishing those complex cases you started. Extubating that aneurysm clipping etc.

People do Asa 1 lap choles at 2 am?

I assumed I didn't need to say that you would have to both start AND finish good cases.

Yes. When surgeons are your clients you often have to bite your tongue and do non urgent cases at 2.

 

[POW16]

Large Northeast academic program. 65ish hours per week with 2-3 24 hour calls per month. That's for the main ORs. I hear cardiac, SICU are busier.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[IlDestriero]

Private Practice: Call q3. Call days we work from 7am and leave usually between 9pm - midnight. Get called back for an epidural or C-section between MN and 7am about 40-60% of the time. No post call day off except one Friday per month. Work post call from 7am to 3-5 pm. This is medical direction of 1:4. From 7am to maybe between 11am -130pm, our butts do not get to sit at our desks. About 2 pm, it is not so bad after that. It was much easier to just sit in a room and personally do 3-5 cases.

I hope you're making north of 700 for that job. You're working 3x harder than me, with a ridiculous call burden. I suspect you have 12 weeks off, which is nice, but you're working harder than I would want to work, much harder.
I know a few people that went into these grinder jobs for the money and burned out after just a few years. It would take a huge toll on my family life. I hope you're enjoying the $$$.

The OPs hours seem pretty typical of residency.

 

[Twiggidy]

Private Practice: Call q3. Call days we work from 7am and leave usually between 9pm - midnight. Get called back for an epidural or C-section between MN and 7am about 40-60% of the time. No post call day off except one Friday per month. Work post call from 7am to 3-5 pm. This is medical direction of 1:4. From 7am to maybe between 11am -130pm, our butts do not get to sit at our desks. About 2 pm, it is not so bad after that. It was much easier to just sit in a room and personally do 3-5 cases.

Very similar situation, although usually post call I'm able to roll out. MD only practice.

 

[pjl]

If this is you're life you better be making metric **** tons of cash. I'm talking >700k, otherwise you're making metric **** tons of cash for someone else.

Life in PP is what you make it/what you want it to be. It's very doable to clear >300k working 35-40hrs/wk MD only even with a dog **** payer mix and no real subsidy (granted not a lot of vaca but with those hours you don't need a lot). Keep that in mind residents as you get out and start fielding job offers. Let it serve as a reference to those jobs that have you working 60+ hours/wk on roller skates covering 3-4 CRNA's for similar pay.

This will not add to the discussion, but 700k weighs roughly 1543 pounds (~0.743 metric tons). You just got me thinking...
Turns out all the calculators place 1 million dollars at 1 metric ton, which I will have to verify for myself when I get home.

That job he was describing needs to pay an awful lot to be worth skipping most of life outside of work.

 

[Twiggidy]

Now you have me thinking......

$1 weights roughly 1 g
so $700k is rough 700k g (or like you state 1543 lbs)

diarrhea is defined as 300g which if multipled by 2333.33 is about 700k g

that means $700k weighs the same as having diarrhea 2,333 times which is about 6.5 times a day for that year.

so yep, that's a **** ton

 

[deleted162650]

Very similar situation, although usually post call I'm able to roll out. MD only practice.

Well then I would think you would at least have some time to get a haircut and a shave??

(Sorry, I just really wanna believe that's you in your avatar pic)

 

[Twiggidy]

Well then I would think you would at least have some time to get a haircut and a shave??

(Sorry, I just really wanna believe that's you in your avatar pic)

I think it is about time I reveal my true identity....

Calm down ladies...

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

Twiggidy you just got more interesting.

 

[Twiggidy]

Twiggidy you just got more interesting.

I just like to have fun and I try to bring some of that fun to this forum. The serious stuff is important too, but our job as anesthesiologists is so ridiculous in the way we're treated by surgeons, hospital staff, and patients, I just feel like there needs to be a place where we can let loose and do virtual keg stands. I tend to treat this forum like it's our own personal Howard Stern show where we can just be insane at times and also cover real topics at times too.

I'm always about the fun though.....and yes, I look JUST like Denzel for all the single lady anesthesiologists out there....😏

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

I just like to have fun and I try to bring some of that fun to this forum. The serious stuff is important too, but our job as anesthesiologists is so ridiculous in the way we're treated by surgeons, hospital staff, and patients, I just feel like there needs to be a place where we can let loose and do virtual keg stands. I tend to treat this forum like it's our own personal Howard Stern show where we can just be insane at times and also cover real topics at times too.

I'm always about the fun though.....and yes, I look JUST like Denzel for all the single lady anesthesiologists out there....😏

I'm all for keg stands[emoji106]