FM specific: what is your residency like/what are we getting into?

[rachmoninov3]

As the new crop of PGY1s are trying to enjoy vacation/move/anticipation before intern year, I wondered if fellow FMers would mind enlightening us on what has residency been like for you? I know there is a good thread in the general residency forum, but I would prefer something more FM specific.

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[DocYuki]

I second the OP

 

[MedicineDoc]

As the new crop of PGY1s are trying to enjoy vacation/move/anticipation before intern year, I wondered if fellow FMers would mind enlightening us on what has residency been like for you? I know there is a good thread in the general residency forum, but I would prefer something more FM specific.

It's going to depend on your program more than anything else. What's the call like? How many weekends off, how much moonlighting goes on at your program? Call from home? You would be better off trying to piece it together from the info you've been given by your program and talking with residents at your program.

 

[brats800]

I agree with the above answer. It is very program specific. At our program, as in most programs, you have your good (better schedule) months and your bad (longer hours) months. Depending on your program, you may have more or less say on how your call and vacation schedule looks (and even how many vacation weeks you have). And what will your program solve the new duty hour rules?

Very bare-bones summary of our program:
6 "hard" 4 week blocks (2 adult inpatient, 2 inpatient peds, 2 OB)
7 "easier" 4 week blocks
4 weeks vacation
modified night-float system for interns (to comply with new duty hours rules)

Any other answers, like mentioned above, are probably program-specific.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I agree with the above answer. It is very program specific. At our program, as in most programs, you have your good (better schedule) months and your bad (longer hours) months. Depending on your program, you may have more or less say on how your call and vacation schedule looks (and even how many vacation weeks you have). And what will your program solve the new duty hour rules?

Very bare-bones summary of our program:
6 "hard" 4 week blocks (2 adult inpatient, 2 inpatient peds, 2 OB)
7 "easier" 4 week blocks
4 weeks vacation
modified night-float system for interns (to comply with new duty hours rules)

Any other answers, like mentioned above, are probably program-specific.

Out intern year is similar.

6 call months (2 adult inpatient day call, 1 adult inpatient night float, 3 day call peds, 3 day call OB)
4 off-service months where you can take your 20 days of vacation + 5 CME days.

 

[redsun2]

Hi everyone, although I am still a pre-med, I would also really like to know how the life of FM residency is like.

I am a non-trad, and I value my family / personal life just as important as my career.
I don't mind working hard, but I don't want to sacrifice my family life for medicine...

I understand that medicine is hard, and sacrifice is needed, but I would like to know to what extend that we have to sacrifice our personal life for medicine, especially during residency.

I think by the time I am in residency, I have to/will be getting married, having children, and also, I have to bear the responsibility of taking care of my parents.

Is it possible?
How hard is it for us to start or maintain a relationship in FM residency / or medical school?

How is the hour generally like during residency?

Do you have to study for exams after getting off from work in residency?
Or is that just the one Major board exam that you have to study for?
I understand that you have to keep learning and reading to keep up the information in order to practice and be a good doctor, but how is it like to get off from a long hour work and have to study?

I really would like to hear from all the practicing physicians, or medical student/residents.

Thanks a lot!

 

[digitlnoize]

I'd highly recommend reading some reviews on Scutwork.com. There's not a ton of them, and many of them are a few years old, but it's the best thing we've got.

 

[peppy]

I'm not going into FM but I am a resident who has rotated through a lot of the specialties that FM residents rotate through (including FM ward and clinic months)

I think by the time I am in residency, I have to/will be getting married, having children, and also, I have to bear the responsibility of taking care of my parents.

If your parents are in poor health and will need daily care or supervision, you will need for a sibling to step up or hire help. It's not realistic to expect to have time to do the hands-on care for your parents while also working as a resident. You will have time to visit with them, but not be the primary caregiver.

How hard is it for us to start or maintain a relationship in FM residency / or medical school?

Lots of people date and get married during med school, but you really do need to have a partner who is understanding. My SO does the majority of cooking/cleaning for us and would probably do a lot of childcare if we had kids. Residency is not just another normal job. It becomes your identity, especially as an intern.

How is the hour generally like during residency?

Depends on the rotation, with outpatient months usually tending to be around 50 hour weeks in my experience and inpatient wards usually being more time consuming, often around the 80 hour/week limit. Since the requirement is that it should be an average of 80 hours/week over a month, individual weeks may be lighter or heavier on inpatient wards. Most commonly, on inpatient wards you get 4 days off during the month, so expect to work weekends. Some places have devised schedules where you don't have to stay all day on the weekends though.

Do you have to study for exams after getting off from work in residency?

Different specialties have different levels of reading requirements. My experience has been that nobody expects you to read like you did in med school on inpatient wards because they know you have little time for it, but they do expect you to read about your patients' problems and may expect you to give a presentation on some patient or topic at some point in the month.