Will I be able to handle a residency?

[CheerChickMD69]

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Hi. I am currently a pre-med student. I was reading some threads in here and am a little nervous about if I'll be able to do a resiency. If I don't get at least 8-10 hours of sleep per night I can't concentrate on ANYTHING during the day and always make stupid mistakes. Is anyone else like this who is currently a resident, and how do you handle it?

 

[edinOH]

I'm sorry but CheerChickMD69 would be a great title for a porn flick.

Forgive me, couldn't resist.

You do get used to less sleep. When I compare how I felt at the begining of my intern year on call and post-call with how I felt near the end, it is like night and day. I for one became very used to the fatigue factor. I think most of it is mental.

 

[fourthyearmed]

I'm still a 4th year but I had plenty of sleep deprivation during 3rd year. I too need a lot of sleep but you get used to functioning without it plus you just start going to bed earlier! Sleeping becomes a priority over everything besides work.

 

[roja]

ditto.

 

[margaritaboy]

I sort of agree.

I do think there is variable tolerence to sleep depravation in the population, and that will impact an individual's preformace differently.

I happen to not respond well to sleep depravation, and never have. True, I can slug through a 30 hour call night. Not infrequently, I feel like s**t and have migraine when I do it though.

If you end up being a wimp like me, you can always try to go into something that has traditionally been a little more humane in training and out in practice.

 

[PublicHealth]

Hi. I am currently a pre-med student. I was reading some threads in here and am a little nervous about if I'll be able to do a resiency. If I don't get at least 8-10 hours of sleep per night I can't concentrate on ANYTHING during the day and always make stupid mistakes. Is anyone else like this who is currently a resident, and how do you handle it?

If that's you in the pic, you should get into stripping or porn. There's more money in that and you can get all the sleep you want.

 

[Winged Scapula]

You DO get used to the hours. As a matter of fact, I am MORE tired now that I am in-house on call less than I used to be. Guess your body titrates to the amount of sleep offered!

 

[E Z Daring]

I'm the say way as you, if I don't get my 8, I feel like like 10% of the person I should be. Anyways, many say their bodies adjust, however I know of many doctors that say that their bodies don't adjust to it (in fact, that it gets harder). By the time you get into medicine, maybe programs will actually be good at sticking to the UCGME rules. Or perhaps they will be improved even (baby steps, for political reasons... isn't adherence to custom sad in the face of scientific evidence???)

I'll be post-call tomorrow, maybe I'll post again then and you can see how miserable my thinking has become.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I'm the say way as you, if I don't get my 8, I feel like like 10% of the person I should be. Anyways, many say their bodies adjust, however I know of many doctors that say that their bodies don't adjust to it (in fact, that it gets harder). By the time you get into medicine, maybe programs will actually be good at sticking to the UCGME rules. Or perhaps they will be improved even (baby steps, for political reasons... isn't adherence to custom sad in the face of scientific evidence???)

I'll be post-call tomorrow, maybe I'll post again then and you can see how miserable my thinking has become.

If the doctors you are speaking of are attendings, that's not suprising. It DOES become more difficult to handle the hours the OLDER you are, and as I noted above, I find it more difficult when I do less call (which attendings usually do). Another factor is that many attendings, depending on the field and the practice, may NOT go home post call despite being in the hospital or awoken every 20 minutes the night before with calls. The work hour restrictions do not apply to them and I can't tell you how often I've operated with an attending who has a full case load and I KNOW has been up all night with calls.

 

[roja]

You dont get used to it. you just do it. You really don't have any other choice.

 

[jmattwilson]

I was always an eight hour sleeper but my surgery clerkship last year broke me down to six. At first I had a hard time handling it but gradually I became less and less tired. Besides there are always boring lectures held in dark rooms where you can get in an extra hour. 😉

 

[BeastNovot]

Cheerchick:
I agree with much of what has been said. I have some significant sleep issues, and was never able to stay awake in my med school lectures (as in, never! 😴 ). However, I did fine as an intern (with fine being a term relative to the other interns), despite working 30-36 hours shifts on a regular basis. What you do is you work, sleep, and eat for your whole intern year. 😎 With the new ACGME requirements, things are much better than even one or two years ago. All these spoiled interns and med students. I remember when I WAS AN INTERN... 😉

 

[Jamezuva]

Cheerchick:
I agree with much of what has been said. I have some significant sleep issues, and was never able to stay awake in my med school lectures (as in, never! 😴 ). However, I did fine as an intern (with fine being a term relative to the other interns), despite working 30-36 hours shifts on a regular basis. What you do is you work, sleep, and eat for your whole intern year. 😎 With the new ACGME requirements, things are much better than even one or two years ago. All these spoiled interns and med students. I remember when I WAS AN INTERN... 😉

Hey now! The ACGME rules don't apply to med students....I've worked several 80+ hr weeks during surgery as a 3rd year 😛 🙁

 

[Winged Scapula]

Hey now! The ACGME rules don't apply to med students....I've worked several 80+ hr weeks during surgery as a 3rd year 😛 🙁

Technically not, but schools are being encouraged to adhere to the rules for med students as well. Hence our med students now go home post call as well (which is unfortunate because a lot of learning goes on during the daytime).

 

[Winged Scapula]

It's interesting to note how all the 3rd and 4th year med students on the floors look pretty while the residents all look like ****.

Free advice for attractive female applicants: If you want to retain any trace of your beauty you should be careful which specialty you go for. Unless you're eager at the thought of wearing a morning mask for the rest of your life, I would advise you stick to Rads, Rad Onc, Ophtho, Anesthesia, Derm, Psych, Path, or PM&R. If you're already "aesthetically challenged" then feel free to go into surg or medicine.

Some of us still *try* and maintain some of our former beauty despite being IM or Surg residents. True I am no where near as nubile or refreshed looking as I was before starting residency, but I still manage to get a bit of makeup on and run a brush through my hair now and again. 😀

 

[E Z Daring]

LOL I'm posting like I said I would. I'm actually feeling great - there were ZERO admissions yesterday night! I must be lucky! I got to 😴 to my heart's content.

 

[augmel]

I have definitely worked several 90+ hour weeks as a third year. But man how I love fourth year. I think I have yet to see a 35 hour week.

But I have a question as well. As a third year I could usually sneak a quick shower post call. But as a resident, is that kosher? I kinda assumed the residents don't since they need to be ready to respond to codes. I just feel so nasty if I don't. Do any of you residents ever do it?

 

[BeastNovot]

Umm, absolutely!

 

[roja]

I think you should seriously think about what it is you want to do and why. Most of us don't even think twice about the lack of sleep. All residents are sleep deprived (with maybe the exception of path, but even they do tons of research and reading).
And all medical students go through sleep deprivation.

And only taking one science at a time is going to really harm your application. Even if you get all A's. (I saw this several times). Med schools aren't fools. They see your transcript and can see that you are only taking one science at a time. You need to be taking at least 3 at a time. Medical school is ALL science and you have to be able to handle the academics.

 

[jazz]

Hi. I am currently a pre-med student. I was reading some threads in here and am a little nervous about if I'll be able to do a resiency. If I don't get at least 8-10 hours of sleep per night I can't concentrate on ANYTHING during the day and always make stupid mistakes. Is anyone else like this who is currently a resident, and how do you handle it?

Yes.

I require A LOT of sleep. Left to my own devices, I easily sleep 10-12 hours a night. Less than 8, I can barely function. I never pulled a single all nighter in undergrad.

I'm in my third year of residency. Of course, I am an EM resident which helps. I don't always do day shifts... Often my shifts are middle ones. Probably one of the appealing things to me but I digress....

Anyhow, I survived a surgical subI where I was in the hospital by 5am pre rounding for four weeks. I've taken call where I've gotten no sleep...

So basically, it's painful but your body gets used to it... It's amazing what you can do when you have to...

 

[Mr_Money]

You know what really refreshs me after a horrible nights sleep? Some nice doggy-style sex!! Man am I ready to take on the world after that. 🙂