Women in surgery... lifestyle issues

[Trinity12]

I'm hoping to get some advice from women in surgery... I'm having a touch of a crisis lately.

I'm in a "lifestyle" surgical residency but I'm starting to have some doubts about my career choice. I've been on off service surgical rotations and really enjoyed myself. I'm starting to think I like the other fields better than my own. I think part of the problem was that I didn't have much exposure to these fields before I had to decide on what to apply to for residency.

I want to be happy with what I do for work. But, I also want to have a bit of a life outside of medicine (not really happening right now in residency) and eventually have a family. I'm single, so I think that is making matters worse... If I had a supportive bf/husband, I think I could probably work through this a bit easier.

For those of you in busy surgical residencies/practice, how do you hope to balance life with work? Regardless of what residency I'm in, I know I'll be busy for the next few years, but I'm thinking about what will happen when I'm out in practice.

Is it possible to be a busy surgeon and maintain a life outside of work with family and kids?

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[Pilot Doc]

http://www.womensurgeons.org/

http://www.womensurgeons.org/education/discussion.htm

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

I can only speak for my own experiences.


I am in ENT which many would consider Early Nights and Tennis. Maybe it gets to be that way in private practice but I work as many or more hours than most any resident in the hospital. Want to look at the OR board and see who's doing a head and neck cancer wack with recon at 10pm? Yeah, the ENT team. If we had in house call we'd easily be over 100 hours. As it stands we do 70-75 consistently. I love what I do but can certainly see how some could become disillusioned if they thought this was a barrel of laughs. Residency sucks for most fields (especially surgical fields). There are a rare few that offer the free time you seek. The payoff with the "lifestyle" fields is that money you make and hours you have to work once in practice. I wish you luck but know that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

 

[Trinity12]

Thanks for the replies.

I think part of my problem right now is that I am busy with residency and would be in any surgical field. I'm finding it difficult to realize that my life won't be like this forever and that once I'm out in practice in my "lifestyle" surgical field this will be better. That said, I'm really enjoying residency (for the most part... obviously there are ups and downs). My "problem" is that I recently did a few months of vascular surgery... and I really liked it! I was working my butt off but really enjoyed it. My family and friends think I'm crazy but I think I like the field itself better than my own but the lifestyle out in practice would be dramatically different.

I think the only reason I'm feeling like this is because I am busy right now so thinking about lifestyle isn't that big of a deal during residency (it's tough regardless). it's difficult to make decisions now based on an unknown future, I guess.

 

[H_Caulfield]

Thanks for the replies.

I think part of my problem right now is that I am busy with residency and would be in any surgical field. I'm finding it difficult to realize that my life won't be like this forever and that once I'm out in practice in my "lifestyle" surgical field this will be better. That said, I'm really enjoying residency (for the most part... obviously there are ups and downs). My "problem" is that I recently did a few months of vascular surgery... and I really liked it! I was working my butt off but really enjoyed it. My family and friends think I'm crazy but I think I like the field itself better than my own but the lifestyle out in practice would be dramatically different.

I think the only reason I'm feeling like this is because I am busy right now so thinking about lifestyle isn't that big of a deal during residency (it's tough regardless). it's difficult to make decisions now based on an unknown future, I guess.

Wow, if you can really like a few months of vascular surgery...go for it! Most people where I'm from hate it and think it's just brutal.

Based on the little bit I've seen, I believe two things:
1. The lifestyles of most surgical residencies are exaggerated by people who are either just tired (as are all residents) or trying to convince themselves it was a good idea not to have gone into it
2. The trend is toward more reasonable lifestyle in residency. It's likely more reasonable now than it was 5 years ago, and by your PGY-2 or -3 year it may be more reasonable still (many programs still just becoming compliant with 80 hours, and now there's even talk of 56).

 

[Winged Scapula]

There is a tendency for one-up-manship in terms of who works the longer hours.

But I would be careful about two things Holden:

1) while hours may be better as a PGY-2 or 3 compared with internship, do not forget that in surgery, as opposed to IM or other specialties, the hours then again get worse during the final years, as you are essentially on call 24/7 (ie, even when you aren't in house, you are the back up call at home).

2) don't fool yourself for a minute that any further reduction in hours won't mean longer training. The ABS is *seriously* considering lengthening training if that happens. Some may not mind, but conventional wisdom has it that most of us would have rather worked longer hours for fewer years.