Hours at Your Program?

I’m in Houston and our trauma rotation is at a busy Level I Trauma Center. Days start at 0600 and typically end anywhere between 1600-1900 depending on how busy the service is. Post-call, you finish when your your work is done. Typically, most people finish before noon, but if you get destroyed the night before, you might be looking at 1400-1500. I’d say our 4 week average is right around 80h per week (much less of the interns with the new work hours rules).

Everyone busts a$$; there's no easy way around it. I doubt anyone would find a slide program and if he did, no one would want to attend. Incoming folks: this IS your LIFE and JOB for the next five years. Even at 80 hours/wk you only have 88 left for your own. Subtract 56 or so for sleeping, and you're left with 32 hours per week to include showering, driving, eating, reading, and pooping and then what's left over to divide among family, friends, and yourself. I feel like this applies to essentially everyone, and no one is going to formally admit working longer because of ACGME.

To my knowledge, no one has died because of residency and the work it entails. (excluding suicide) It's doable, just so long as you (and your spouse) Understand. I'm also pretty sure no Ortho resident's spouse has ever said, "man, I'm glad you're in Ortho, I get to see you all the time... good thing you're not in Derm!"