Residency advice ( 1

I don't mean to sound pesimistic but get ready for the ride of your life. Surgery is "in my opinion" like trying to compete in the Olympics. It is a lot of hours, a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice - on everyone's part. My husband is a surgical resident. Depending on the month / rotation he is Q2 to Q4 to home call. But when not on call he is typically working 17 hour days. He usually leaves by 6 am and is not home until 7 pm. And that is on a good day.



Going into surgery is definitely not a decision to be made lightly. 2 people have already dropped out of his program and it is not one of the "high profile" programs like John Hopkins or Duke. He is at the Med College of Wisconsin. It has definitely taken the toll on our family. My husband hates the fact that he is not around as much as he would like to be to see our son or me. Plus we are out of state and don't get to see family much if at all due to his schedule. And as much as I try to swing by the hospital for lunches or dinners to get in more time - he just doesn't always have it.



This is not to say that a surgical residency is impossible or the worst thing one could ever endure. It just depends what type of sacrifice one is willing to make. And keep in mind that the program could be anywhere from 5 to 7 years or more depending on what your hubby wants to do and if research is required. My hubby wants to be a reconstructive surgeon in an academic environment. That means 5 years General Surgery with an additional 2 years of research in the middle. Plus a 2 to 3 year plastics fellowship. There are shorter ways to get to the same end point - it just all depends.



Anyhow - somehow my hubby and I make this work. That is not to say there aren't bad months and worse months. But there are good months and there are ways to keep you and him sane. We make a point of having at least one date a month. I keep busy with a full time job and the house et al. We've hired a nanny to help out with my son and cleaning, etc. We keep our son up late and then let him sleep in late so that my hubby can spend more time with him on the nights he is home. We email one another and try to talk at least once a day via phone. For some this is not the life they want. It is something you really have to think LONG and HARD about b/c it is a lifestyle decision more than anything else.



I would be more than willing to talk to you more about this. Just let me know.

I don't mean to sound pesimistic but get ready for the ride of your life. Surgery is "in my opinion" like trying to compete in the Olympics. It is a lot of hours, a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice - on everyone's part. My husband is a surgical resident. Depending on the month / rotation he is Q2 to Q4 to home call. But when not on call he is typically working 17 hour days. He usually leaves by 6 am and is not home until 7 pm. And that is on a good day.



Going into surgery is definitely not a decision to be made lightly. 2 people have already dropped out of his program and it is not one of the "high profile" programs like John Hopkins or Duke. He is at the Med College of Wisconsin. It has definitely taken the toll on our family. My husband hates the fact that he is not around as much as he would like to be to see our son or me. Plus we are out of state and don't get to see family much if at all due to his schedule. And as much as I try to swing by the hospital for lunches or dinners to get in more time - he just doesn't always have it.



This is not to say that a surgical residency is impossible or the worst thing one could ever endure. It just depends what type of sacrifice one is willing to make. And keep in mind that the program could be anywhere from 5 to 7 years or more depending on what your hubby wants to do and if research is required. My hubby wants to be a reconstructive surgeon in an academic environment. That means 5 years General Surgery with an additional 2 years of research in the middle. Plus a 2 to 3 year plastics fellowship. There are shorter ways to get to the same end point - it just all depends.



Anyhow - somehow my hubby and I make this work. That is not to say there aren't bad months and worse months. But there are good months and there are ways to keep you and him sane. We make a point of having at least one date a month. I keep busy with a full time job and the house et al. We've hired a nanny to help out with my son and cleaning, etc. We keep our son up late and then let him sleep in late so that my hubby can spend more time with him on the nights he is home. We email one another and try to talk at least once a day via phone. For some this is not the life they want. It is something you really have to think LONG and HARD about b/c it is a lifestyle decision more than anything else.



I would be more than willing to talk to you more about this. Just let me know.

I don't mean to sound pesimistic but get ready for the ride of your life. Surgery is "in my opinion" like trying to compete in the Olympics. It is a lot of hours, a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice - on everyone's part. My husband is a surgical resident. Depending on the month / rotation he is Q2 to Q4 to home call. But when not on call he is typically working 17 hour days. He usually leaves by 6 am and is not home until 7 pm. And that is on a good day.



Going into surgery is definitely not a decision to be made lightly. 2 people have already dropped out of his program and it is not one of the "high profile" programs like John Hopkins or Duke. He is at the Med College of Wisconsin. It has definitely taken the toll on our family. My husband hates the fact that he is not around as much as he would like to be to see our son or me. Plus we are out of state and don't get to see family much if at all due to his schedule. And as much as I try to swing by the hospital for lunches or dinners to get in more time - he just doesn't always have it.



This is not to say that a surgical residency is impossible or the worst thing one could ever endure. It just depends what type of sacrifice one is willing to make. And keep in mind that the program could be anywhere from 5 to 7 years or more depending on what your hubby wants to do and if research is required. My hubby wants to be a reconstructive surgeon in an academic environment. That means 5 years General Surgery with an additional 2 years of research in the middle. Plus a 2 to 3 year plastics fellowship. There are shorter ways to get to the same end point - it just all depends.



Anyhow - somehow my hubby and I make this work. That is not to say there aren't bad months and worse months. But there are good months and there are ways to keep you and him sane. We make a point of having at least one date a month. I keep busy with a full time job and the house et al. We've hired a nanny to help out with my son and cleaning, etc. We keep our son up late and then let him sleep in late so that my hubby can spend more time with him on the nights he is home. We email one another and try to talk at least once a day via phone. For some this is not the life they want. It is something you really have to think LONG and HARD about b/c it is a lifestyle decision more than anything else.



I would be more than willing to talk to you more about this. Just let me know.

I just wanted to add a comment about Family Practice in responses to what Claudia said.As i've stated phill has been a family doctor over 20years now and he certainly does do some surgery.Not only does he assist w/C-sections and sew them up but every Fri. he does at least 2 vasectomies!He does them in his office and most are routine unless he gets a very overweight man and then it can really be tough!He's also sewing up someone everyday when they have accidents.He also does orthro work and puts casts on broken arms,legs.etc.He does so much i don't have the room to type it here!LOLI can tell you that he does know how to sew and he does all the sewing here at home.LOLThis is why he loves FP tho...it covers so many things and his day is NEVER boring.And thats not even counting his 2 subspecialities.I can't believe that the medical schools have stopped teaching all this...have they?Phill used to be the Medical director for the FP residenticy program at Stanford and he taught all this and much more then back then.Forgive all my misspelling as i'm babysitting holly right now and have to go play with her now.Fell free to e-mail me if you have more questions or i can also post here.

Lynn

I just wanted to add a comment about Family Practice in responses to what Claudia said.As i've stated phill has been a family doctor over 20years now and he certainly does do some surgery.Not only does he assist w/C-sections and sew them up but every Fri. he does at least 2 vasectomies!He does them in his office and most are routine unless he gets a very overweight man and then it can really be tough!He's also sewing up someone everyday when they have accidents.He also does orthro work and puts casts on broken arms,legs.etc.He does so much i don't have the room to type it here!LOLI can tell you that he does know how to sew and he does all the sewing here at home.LOLThis is why he loves FP tho...it covers so many things and his day is NEVER boring.And thats not even counting his 2 subspecialities.I can't believe that the medical schools have stopped teaching all this...have they?Phill used to be the Medical director for the FP residenticy program at Stanford and he taught all this and much more then back then.Forgive all my misspelling as i'm babysitting holly right now and have to go play with her now.Fell free to e-mail me if you have more questions or i can also post here.

Lynn

I just wanted to add a comment about Family Practice in responses to what Claudia said.As i've stated phill has been a family doctor over 20years now and he certainly does do some surgery.Not only does he assist w/C-sections and sew them up but every Fri. he does at least 2 vasectomies!He does them in his office and most are routine unless he gets a very overweight man and then it can really be tough!He's also sewing up someone everyday when they have accidents.He also does orthro work and puts casts on broken arms,legs.etc.He does so much i don't have the room to type it here!LOLI can tell you that he does know how to sew and he does all the sewing here at home.LOLThis is why he loves FP tho...it covers so many things and his day is NEVER boring.And thats not even counting his 2 subspecialities.I can't believe that the medical schools have stopped teaching all this...have they?Phill used to be the Medical director for the FP residenticy program at Stanford and he taught all this and much more then back then.Forgive all my misspelling as i'm babysitting holly right now and have to go play with her now.Fell free to e-mail me if you have more questions or i can also post here.

Lynn

Lynn, I think that what FP physicians end up doing really probably depends on how comfortable they are with the procedures. My family practioner and my children's pediatrician won't touch anything having to do with stitches (sewing). Instead, they send you immediately to the er. And you are right, it probably does have a lot to do with the places they train, as well. But, I am not surprised your husband has to sew on occasion. Obviously an FP who is willing to pay for liability insurance in order to deliver babies is going to have to expect to do some cutting and stitching. However, for minor stitches I haven't yet met an FP who will do them in the office. I do, however, have a friend who graduated from UTSW last year who is in an FP residency (and intends to deliver babies) and he is also training in acupuncture (but I guess that would make him more of a sticker than a sewer! ).

Lynn, I think that what FP physicians end up doing really probably depends on how comfortable they are with the procedures. My family practioner and my children's pediatrician won't touch anything having to do with stitches (sewing). Instead, they send you immediately to the er. And you are right, it probably does have a lot to do with the places they train, as well. But, I am not surprised your husband has to sew on occasion. Obviously an FP who is willing to pay for liability insurance in order to deliver babies is going to have to expect to do some cutting and stitching. However, for minor stitches I haven't yet met an FP who will do them in the office. I do, however, have a friend who graduated from UTSW last year who is in an FP residency (and intends to deliver babies) and he is also training in acupuncture (but I guess that would make him more of a sticker than a sewer! ).

Lynn, I think that what FP physicians end up doing really probably depends on how comfortable they are with the procedures. My family practioner and my children's pediatrician won't touch anything having to do with stitches (sewing). Instead, they send you immediately to the er. And you are right, it probably does have a lot to do with the places they train, as well. But, I am not surprised your husband has to sew on occasion. Obviously an FP who is willing to pay for liability insurance in order to deliver babies is going to have to expect to do some cutting and stitching. However, for minor stitches I haven't yet met an FP who will do them in the office. I do, however, have a friend who graduated from UTSW last year who is in an FP residency (and intends to deliver babies) and he is also training in acupuncture (but I guess that would make him more of a sticker than a sewer! ).

My husband (now at the tailend of 4th yr med school) had the same problem as yours last year, Robin. He struggled through the decision of which specialty would give him a rewarding, challenging career and at the same time, give him time to be with his family. He was very attracted to surgery and HATED family practice and ob/gyn. He really enjoyed the more esoteric specialties and didn't like the "normal" ones too much. So, he decided on a specialty that would combine his talents in computer graphic design with some surgical training and would be a financially rewarding career (VERY financially rewarding I might add) AND only required normal office hours during the week with little call. This specialty was interventional radiology. They combine surgical (cardio) aspects with radiology (using floroscopy and real time imaging - with what is called a "C" arm). You go through a normal, five year, radiology residency and then a one year fellowship in interventional. The catch is that since it is deemed by many to be the "heart surgery of the future" many cardiothoracic surgeons are having a hard time accepting the field (especially since they are so competitive to begin with within their own departments). My husband actually has heard of a couple of interventional departments being almost obliterated by politics becuase the heart surgeons were having fits. But, these were po-dunk places that didn't have a lot of forward thinking doctors or administrators (and will regret it when everyone else but them has updated). So, he is happy with his choice.



Bottom line: you want your husband to be happy and enjoy what he does every day AND you want him to be a part of the family (ie if he is never there to participate in your family then he is not deriving much benefit from having one NOR are you deriving much benefit from HIM). If he doesn't find any of the normal specialties a perfect fit, then encourage him to start examining the subspecialties and even some of the newer fields that combine different specialties (such as interventional radiology) keeping an eye on the toughness of the residency and the demands of that particular subspecialty once training is complete. My husband has made his decision based on the above, hopefully it will turn out to be what we expect and will be a positive part of our lives.



Another specialty he might consider is anesthegiology. A few years ago it looked like there was going to be a glut of them. It was a gross miscalculation. Now, so many programs NEED anesth. residents that it is the one specialty I know of that will fly out all applicants (regardless of the program - from AZ to WA etc) and pay for their hotel/transportation. And this is just for interviews! (You will find that residency interviews for all other specialties require YOU to pony up the costs for travel/hotel/transportation). In addition, I have heard from a friend whose husband just started an anesth. residency in AZ this last year that anesth. on average pays much better than most residencies. Plus, the residency itself is supposed to be rather relaxed and the lifestyle after training is supposedly quite cushy (high pay due to a dearth of anesthiologists). Anyway, this friend's husband picked this field over ob/gyn (which also interested him) becuase it was good financially, had great job security (due to the shortage) and, most of all, as far as hours and stress were concerned, would be IDEAL for his family.



So, I guess I am finding that many of the married medical students that I personally know are attempting to balance their own career goals with what is best for their families because their careers AND their families are what makes them complete and happy.

My husband (now at the tailend of 4th yr med school) had the same problem as yours last year, Robin. He struggled through the decision of which specialty would give him a rewarding, challenging career and at the same time, give him time to be with his family. He was very attracted to surgery and HATED family practice and ob/gyn. He really enjoyed the more esoteric specialties and didn't like the "normal" ones too much. So, he decided on a specialty that would combine his talents in computer graphic design with some surgical training and would be a financially rewarding career (VERY financially rewarding I might add) AND only required normal office hours during the week with little call. This specialty was interventional radiology. They combine surgical (cardio) aspects with radiology (using floroscopy and real time imaging - with what is called a "C" arm). You go through a normal, five year, radiology residency and then a one year fellowship in interventional. The catch is that since it is deemed by many to be the "heart surgery of the future" many cardiothoracic surgeons are having a hard time accepting the field (especially since they are so competitive to begin with within their own departments). My husband actually has heard of a couple of interventional departments being almost obliterated by politics becuase the heart surgeons were having fits. But, these were po-dunk places that didn't have a lot of forward thinking doctors or administrators (and will regret it when everyone else but them has updated). So, he is happy with his choice.



Bottom line: you want your husband to be happy and enjoy what he does every day AND you want him to be a part of the family (ie if he is never there to participate in your family then he is not deriving much benefit from having one NOR are you deriving much benefit from HIM). If he doesn't find any of the normal specialties a perfect fit, then encourage him to start examining the subspecialties and even some of the newer fields that combine different specialties (such as interventional radiology) keeping an eye on the toughness of the residency and the demands of that particular subspecialty once training is complete. My husband has made his decision based on the above, hopefully it will turn out to be what we expect and will be a positive part of our lives.



Another specialty he might consider is anesthegiology. A few years ago it looked like there was going to be a glut of them. It was a gross miscalculation. Now, so many programs NEED anesth. residents that it is the one specialty I know of that will fly out all applicants (regardless of the program - from AZ to WA etc) and pay for their hotel/transportation. And this is just for interviews! (You will find that residency interviews for all other specialties require YOU to pony up the costs for travel/hotel/transportation). In addition, I have heard from a friend whose husband just started an anesth. residency in AZ this last year that anesth. on average pays much better than most residencies. Plus, the residency itself is supposed to be rather relaxed and the lifestyle after training is supposedly quite cushy (high pay due to a dearth of anesthiologists). Anyway, this friend's husband picked this field over ob/gyn (which also interested him) becuase it was good financially, had great job security (due to the shortage) and, most of all, as far as hours and stress were concerned, would be IDEAL for his family.



So, I guess I am finding that many of the married medical students that I personally know are attempting to balance their own career goals with what is best for their families because their careers AND their families are what makes them complete and happy.

My husband (now at the tailend of 4th yr med school) had the same problem as yours last year, Robin. He struggled through the decision of which specialty would give him a rewarding, challenging career and at the same time, give him time to be with his family. He was very attracted to surgery and HATED family practice and ob/gyn. He really enjoyed the more esoteric specialties and didn't like the "normal" ones too much. So, he decided on a specialty that would combine his talents in computer graphic design with some surgical training and would be a financially rewarding career (VERY financially rewarding I might add) AND only required normal office hours during the week with little call. This specialty was interventional radiology. They combine surgical (cardio) aspects with radiology (using floroscopy and real time imaging - with what is called a "C" arm). You go through a normal, five year, radiology residency and then a one year fellowship in interventional. The catch is that since it is deemed by many to be the "heart surgery of the future" many cardiothoracic surgeons are having a hard time accepting the field (especially since they are so competitive to begin with within their own departments). My husband actually has heard of a couple of interventional departments being almost obliterated by politics becuase the heart surgeons were having fits. But, these were po-dunk places that didn't have a lot of forward thinking doctors or administrators (and will regret it when everyone else but them has updated). So, he is happy with his choice.



Bottom line: you want your husband to be happy and enjoy what he does every day AND you want him to be a part of the family (ie if he is never there to participate in your family then he is not deriving much benefit from having one NOR are you deriving much benefit from HIM). If he doesn't find any of the normal specialties a perfect fit, then encourage him to start examining the subspecialties and even some of the newer fields that combine different specialties (such as interventional radiology) keeping an eye on the toughness of the residency and the demands of that particular subspecialty once training is complete. My husband has made his decision based on the above, hopefully it will turn out to be what we expect and will be a positive part of our lives.



Another specialty he might consider is anesthegiology. A few years ago it looked like there was going to be a glut of them. It was a gross miscalculation. Now, so many programs NEED anesth. residents that it is the one specialty I know of that will fly out all applicants (regardless of the program - from AZ to WA etc) and pay for their hotel/transportation. And this is just for interviews! (You will find that residency interviews for all other specialties require YOU to pony up the costs for travel/hotel/transportation). In addition, I have heard from a friend whose husband just started an anesth. residency in AZ this last year that anesth. on average pays much better than most residencies. Plus, the residency itself is supposed to be rather relaxed and the lifestyle after training is supposedly quite cushy (high pay due to a dearth of anesthiologists). Anyway, this friend's husband picked this field over ob/gyn (which also interested him) becuase it was good financially, had great job security (due to the shortage) and, most of all, as far as hours and stress were concerned, would be IDEAL for his family.



So, I guess I am finding that many of the married medical students that I personally know are attempting to balance their own career goals with what is best for their families because their careers AND their families are what makes them complete and happy.

Wow!!!!You have all given us a lot to think about. My husband just got home from taking one of our sons to a hockey game and realized that a surgery residency would never allow the one-on-one time that he was able to spend tonight with his son. After I read abransky's (sorry I don't know your name) to him, we both agreed that we aren't willing to make that kind of sacrifice. I applaud you for being able to do it! I'm sure it will be very rewarding for you in the end. How old is your son? We would probably do surgery if we were younger and didn't have any children yet. My husband loves surgery but he is now thinking of following another path.



We have a lot of researching to do to find that perfect combination! Jennifer you are absolutely right! He has to love his career AND have time to be with his family to be happy. Interventional radiology sounds fascinating. I'm not sure my husband wants to go that route but he knew quite a bit about it. He hasn't ruled out anesthesiology either but worries that it might become mundane. Family practice with OB sounds promising. We will look into that more. It really depends on where you live. There are quite a few places(out west at least) that don't allow family practitioners to deliver babies. From what I hear, the residencies will train you to deliver babies and some residencies will even give you quite a bit of experience in minor surgeries, but then you can't use it in your practice because of the hospitals. Like I said, we need to do a lot more research quickly. Managed care has changed a lot of things. Lynn, it sounds like your husband had the perfect timing and has a very diverse career. Thanks for all the offers to talk to me more about it. I think I need a little time to digest all of this info!! My husband has another family practice rotation next month that I hope will give him a good idea of what a family practitioner's life is like. His first FP rotation was at a prison, and his second one was with a very cynical doctor who was so worried about money that he would time their drive to the hospital and tell him how much money that had cost him. It wasn't a good experience. Russ (my hubby) says that he will be on the lookout for those overweight men wanting vasectomies!!!LOL! Thanks again. Robin

Wow!!!!You have all given us a lot to think about. My husband just got home from taking one of our sons to a hockey game and realized that a surgery residency would never allow the one-on-one time that he was able to spend tonight with his son. After I read abransky's (sorry I don't know your name) to him, we both agreed that we aren't willing to make that kind of sacrifice. I applaud you for being able to do it! I'm sure it will be very rewarding for you in the end. How old is your son? We would probably do surgery if we were younger and didn't have any children yet. My husband loves surgery but he is now thinking of following another path.



We have a lot of researching to do to find that perfect combination! Jennifer you are absolutely right! He has to love his career AND have time to be with his family to be happy. Interventional radiology sounds fascinating. I'm not sure my husband wants to go that route but he knew quite a bit about it. He hasn't ruled out anesthesiology either but worries that it might become mundane. Family practice with OB sounds promising. We will look into that more. It really depends on where you live. There are quite a few places(out west at least) that don't allow family practitioners to deliver babies. From what I hear, the residencies will train you to deliver babies and some residencies will even give you quite a bit of experience in minor surgeries, but then you can't use it in your practice because of the hospitals. Like I said, we need to do a lot more research quickly. Managed care has changed a lot of things. Lynn, it sounds like your husband had the perfect timing and has a very diverse career. Thanks for all the offers to talk to me more about it. I think I need a little time to digest all of this info!! My husband has another family practice rotation next month that I hope will give him a good idea of what a family practitioner's life is like. His first FP rotation was at a prison, and his second one was with a very cynical doctor who was so worried about money that he would time their drive to the hospital and tell him how much money that had cost him. It wasn't a good experience. Russ (my hubby) says that he will be on the lookout for those overweight men wanting vasectomies!!!LOL! Thanks again. Robin

Wow!!!!You have all given us a lot to think about. My husband just got home from taking one of our sons to a hockey game and realized that a surgery residency would never allow the one-on-one time that he was able to spend tonight with his son. After I read abransky's (sorry I don't know your name) to him, we both agreed that we aren't willing to make that kind of sacrifice. I applaud you for being able to do it! I'm sure it will be very rewarding for you in the end. How old is your son? We would probably do surgery if we were younger and didn't have any children yet. My husband loves surgery but he is now thinking of following another path.



We have a lot of researching to do to find that perfect combination! Jennifer you are absolutely right! He has to love his career AND have time to be with his family to be happy. Interventional radiology sounds fascinating. I'm not sure my husband wants to go that route but he knew quite a bit about it. He hasn't ruled out anesthesiology either but worries that it might become mundane. Family practice with OB sounds promising. We will look into that more. It really depends on where you live. There are quite a few places(out west at least) that don't allow family practitioners to deliver babies. From what I hear, the residencies will train you to deliver babies and some residencies will even give you quite a bit of experience in minor surgeries, but then you can't use it in your practice because of the hospitals. Like I said, we need to do a lot more research quickly. Managed care has changed a lot of things. Lynn, it sounds like your husband had the perfect timing and has a very diverse career. Thanks for all the offers to talk to me more about it. I think I need a little time to digest all of this info!! My husband has another family practice rotation next month that I hope will give him a good idea of what a family practitioner's life is like. His first FP rotation was at a prison, and his second one was with a very cynical doctor who was so worried about money that he would time their drive to the hospital and tell him how much money that had cost him. It wasn't a good experience. Russ (my hubby) says that he will be on the lookout for those overweight men wanting vasectomies!!!LOL! Thanks again. Robin