Change in schedule: Is this typical?

[L.Jane]

So we are three months into pgy-2 and 2 of the three months his schedule gets posted and then reposted and then reposted becuase someone fails to show up, then someone shows up half way through. For example. Its day two today of his rotation and he comes home and tells me someone didn't show up, so he is now on call a few more times this month then he is scheduled for, and he thinks he is on call tomorrow instead of friday, but isnt sure. He will find out when he goes in tomorrow. Does this happen to any of you? Is this just disorganization of his hospital in particular or is this common?

[diggitydot]

DH's schedule changes occasionally. Certainly not like what you've described. Honestly, it really only changes for fairly major stuff like needing coverage for someone doing ACLS, PALS, boards, etc. Occasionally, they'll switch around call months and non-call months to accommodate a pregnant resident who needs their due date month to be non-call, but that typically doesn't happen often.

But daily? No. And he ALWAYS knows which shifts he's on-call, typically a 1-3 months in advance. (His program encourages moonlighting in their ER so they have scheduling done well in advance to accommodate this.)

[L.Jane]

That would be so lovely to know more then a month in advanced. Its a good month when we know more then a week or two in advanced.

[SuzySunshine]

What do you mean people aren't showing up? My DH's schedule is done by the quarter and we usually get it between 1-4 weeks before the quarter starts. If someone didn't show up they better be dead. I could understand it if they were interns and it was the very beginning of the year - but as a PGY-2??

[DCJenn]

What does "not show up" mean? In the military that's called AWOL and it's worse than bad.

How can you not show up?

Jenn

[L.Jane]

AWOL... lol thanks for the giggle Jen. Not sure why I found that funny.. maybe I'm just past tired...

I am not 100 percent sure but I guess some guy was supposed to come in from another hospital. When I asked how someone just didn't show up J said something about it being a hospital that has people come in from several other hospitals and they thought someone was coming from one of the other hospitals but it turns out they aren't. As for last month if I remember correctly it was something about someone coming from another state to start at the hospital and I guess that didn't happen either. Honestly I'm not exactly sure.

[diggitydot]

How can you not show up?

Yeah, I was wondering that, too. Residents in DH's program have to be almost at death's door to not show up. But they'd call and make sure someone knew WTH was up and find some coverage, if necessary.

[DCJenn]

I remember 'the rule' during intern year was "if you're sick enough to stay home, then you're sick enough to be at the hospital."

(they'd put them on IVs and then send them on their merry way.)

So, yep- pretty much death is about the only way out, as far as I've heard.

Jenn

[L.Jane]

These are not permanent residents that are not showing up. These are other fellows or something. These are someone that is coming in from another hospital or a floater brought in or something for the month. J is at the children's hospital this month and next and the person that didn't show up was from some other hospital (not his). He was at the main hospital last month when it happened. He is at Children's this and next month, then onto another hospital the month after. He has three hospitals (childrens, veterans, and one other) that he has to rotate to besides the main hopsital.)

[moonlight]

AWOL... lol thanks for the giggle Jen. Not sure why I found that funny.. maybe I'm just past tired...

I am not 100 percent sure but I guess some guy was supposed to come in from another hospital. When I asked how someone just didn't show up J said something about it being a hospital that has people come in from several other hospitals and they thought someone was coming from one of the other hospitals but it turns out they aren't. As for last month if I remember correctly it was something about someone coming from another state to start at the hospital and I guess that didn't happen either. Honestly I'm not exactly sure.

MY DH attended a Foreign Medical school, but did nearly all his 3rd and 4th year rotations at U.S. hospitals. I think what might have happened was that a student had signed up for a rotation at one hospital, but then changed the schedule. The scheduling person at J's med school didn't notify the hospital student coordinator of this. Thus, J thinks someone didn't show. In fact (I bet ya!) an admin person at the school didn't communicate this with the student coordinator at the hospital. OR the hospital student coordinator didn't communicate this with the department admin person that makes the student work/call schedule.

I know this is all confusing and 99% of U.S. medical students know Nothing about these admin people working behind the scenes to get the rotations and schedules made for the medical students. Since my DH did attend a Foreign Med school, guess who did all the coordinating with the hospitals, department admin, med school clinical admin etc etc? Yeah, that was me.

I’d say that is what happened isn’t the norm. Typically these admin people are on top of things.

[L.Jane]

MY DH attended a Foreign Medical school, but did nearly all his 3rd and 4th year rotations at U.S. hospitals. I think what might have happened was that a student had signed up for a rotation at one hospital, but then changed the schedule. The scheduling person at J's med school didn't notify the hospital student coordinator of this. Thus, J thinks someone didn't show. In fact (I bet ya!) an admin person at the school didn't communicate this with the student coordinator at the hospital. OR the hospital student coordinator didn't communicate this with the department admin person that makes the student work/call schedule.

I know this is all confusing and 99% of U.S. medical students know Nothing about these admin people working behind the scenes to get the rotations and schedules made for the medical students. Since my DH did attend a Foreign Med school, guess who did all the coordinating with the hospitals, department admin, med school clinical admin etc etc? Yeah, that was me.

I’d say that is what happened isn’t the norm. Typically these admin people are on top of things.

I think that's exactly it. Thank you. You explained it so much better then J who was just too tired to even try and explain. When I asked him last month about the guy not showing up from somewhere else.

[SoonerTexan]

I remember 'the rule' during intern year was "if you're sick enough to stay home, then you're sick enough to be at the hospital."

(they'd put them on IVs and then send them on their merry way.)

So, yep- pretty much death is about the only way out, as far as I've heard.

Quick thread hijack...

Dang, really? Isn't there any concern about a sick doctor spreading something in a hospital full of sick patients, especially those that are immunocompromised?

Heck--with all of this "Swine Flu" crap going on, our University told us we better not show up to class for a week if we have any sort of flu-like symptoms. (I think that is going a wee bit overboard, but then again, a nearby University has close to 100 cases right now)

[migirl]

DH once went to work in the raging throes of the flu (fever, shakes, chills, the works ... glad I wasn't his patient that day! ), and someone else's DH (can't remember who now) was sick enough at work to need to have an IV administered to him!

[L.Jane]

SoonerTexan: Hijack away, I started the post and got the answer I wanted. I believe the hospital system has many flaws. This being one of them. If I go to the hospital there are already enough sick people. I do not want or need my dr coughing and hacking near me too. J gets this horrible cold once a year and still he goes in sick as a dog. Its so ridiculous.

[SoonerTexan]

Wow--I guess I really do have a lot to learn.

I think I would be a little freaked out if I brought in my newborn or elderly grandmother and the doctor was hacking up a lung!