svp2k5 Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 So my understanding is that you will need to stay awake for ~30 hours every 4-7 days? That's doesn't seem too bad, as long as you are kept busy, and have a large coffee around 4 AM when most people tend to crash. Personally, I would much rather be on call more often than that during the week, but still have my weekends free to spend with friends and family. During with rotations/residencies are you expected to work 7 days a week, every week, with no days off? In the busiest services (medicine CTU, gen surg, etc), you will at most be in hospital 2 weekends a month (one saturday and on Fri/sun). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 http://www.pairo.org/Content/Default.aspx?pg=1287 In Ontario, it's two weekends off per month, not two weekends per month.. so you could work 3 out of 5 weekends according to the contract. I will also say that the further along you go and the more responsibility you have for your own patients, the more likelihood there is of coming in when technically not on call (e.g. surgeons operating on their own patients who have experienced postsurgical complications, even if they are not on call for the entire service that evening/weekend). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sv3 Posted March 24, 2010 Report Share Posted March 24, 2010 So my understanding is that you will need to stay awake for ~30 hours every 4-7 days? That's doesn't seem too bad, as long as you are kept busy, and have a large coffee around 4 AM when most people tend to crash. Personally, I would much rather be on call more often than that during the week, but still have my weekends free to spend with friends and family. During with rotations/residencies are you expected to work 7 days a week, every week, with no days off? Staying awake 30 hours isn't horrific, but from my own experiences (i used to be an investment banker - 90+ hrs/week), the problem is you likely won't be getting adequate sleep all the other nights so that your 100% going into your long shifts. Perhaps I'm wrong and you can rest well before/after these shifts, but my problem was not the stand alone nights, it was the all nighters after a night where I had <5 hours sleep. I'm older than most students and still find 24 hrs to be a joke on its on, its above 30 that gets dicey. I've pulled off a few 35-40+ hour long shifts with the help of caffeine pills, and even then, there were some sketchy moments (hallucinating for one - everything you looked at would seem to wiggle or move, and your mind is fried - no way i would try to touch a patient if that were the case no matter the consequences-theres a reason bankers get car service and perks - cause we're useless at that point). but what do i know....im not even in meds yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mourning Cloak Posted March 25, 2010 Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 My least favourite part of 30+ hour shifts is around 3 or 4 am when you suddenly get cold and can't get warm. Bah! Hate it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sv3 Posted April 3, 2010 Report Share Posted April 3, 2010 My least favourite part of 30+ hour shifts is around 3 or 4 am when you suddenly get cold and can't get warm. Bah! Hate it! Agreed..........but at least it keeps me awake when needed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted April 13, 2010 Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 just head on down to the psych department for a prescription for dexedrine, now everyone can do 50 hour shifts, hoorah! I was listening to a show on cbc radio called "White Coat, Black Art", and it disturbed me that some of the doctors took a drug called modaphanil to stay alert. One doctor that was on call had issues even getting through the interview and said that he still had many hours to work and that he should take another pill to pick himself up. I'm sure medicine is not always like that, but....yikes. I'd hope that if I got into med school, I would find ways of dealing with not having as much sleep as I'd like. But still.....woah. I feel like doctors being dependent on drugs to stay alert kind of goes against providing a good example for patients and goes against good doctoring. Just my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted April 13, 2010 Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 its actually pretty rational when you think about it, the us military gives amphetamine (i.e. adderall or dexedrine) to fighter pilots to keep them uber alert during battles. I was listening to a show on cbc radio called "White Coat, Black Art", and it disturbed me that some of the doctors took a drug called modaphanil to stay alert. One doctor that was on call had issues even getting through the interview and said that he still had many hours to work and that he should take another pill to pick himself up. I'm sure medicine is not always like that, but....yikes. I'd hope that if I got into med school, I would find ways of dealing with not having as much sleep as I'd like. But still.....woah. I feel like doctors being dependent on drugs to stay alert kind of goes against providing a good example for patients and goes against good doctoring. Just my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.