Hello

[lkelley]

Thanks, everyone! This is really helpful. I would especially love to hear more about what family life is like post-residency/fellowship. I've asked my husband, but I don't think he really knows what to expect either. Probably better to hear from the wives out there anyway, as your perspectives are what I'm really interested in. I will definitely be visiting this site more often.

[SuzySunshine]

I think even within neurosurgery it varies - it will never be an easy specialty, it will never be 9-5. My husband finally had his schedule under control and was home for dinner about 2-3 nights/week after being out of training almost a year and then they lost one of their surgeons so he's back to working a lot until they get back up to full speed. But my DH also has a great call schedule and he's completely off 4 weekends out of 5. I have another NSG friend whose husband gets 12 WEEKS vacation/year. Yes, one a month. So the good jobs do exist, my DH is hospital employed and my friends husband is in a very large private practice. Academics are probably going to be better hours but less vacation and money but the residents take more of the abuse/bad hours.

[lkelley]

Thanks for the info! 12 weeks of vacation/year?!?!?! That's crazy! My husband is MD/PhD, so probably going the academic hospital route. I'd definitely take 4 out of 5 weekends off and home a few weeknights for dinner - that's not bad. Thanks again and hope your husband's department gets another surgeon on board soon!

[SuzySunshine]

Our friend with the 12 weeks is also MD/PhD and was thought to go academics - my husband also wanted to go academics, neither one of them are, never rule anything out.

[metroguy]

i have to say, have 2 kids and residency is hard (and maybe hell during the bad days). of course, if you wait too long, lots of health related things can go wrong (one md/phd had a kid post residency and the baby turn out artistic). anyway, make sure you got lots of family/friend support. otherwise 2 is at least double if not triple the work of 1.