Resident spouses - how much does your spouse work?

[Vanquisher]

I'd like to take a poll, just to see how the rules are affecting change, informally, of course.

[Rapunzel]

I answered based on how much time my spouse spends working "officially" at the hospital. If I added up additional meetings for projects, his responsibilities as chief resident, and all the work he spends at home on research papers/projects/grant proposals I would easily answer in the 100 hours/week range.

Jennifer

[BonBon]

Jennifer,
I thought radiology was a family-friendly specialty AND residency. How are you handling that with your pregnancy? I can't imagine.

[Rapunzel]

I think it depends on the resident.

My husband tends to be the over-achiever type and he's found his "niche" in the world - a combination that means he's asked to do a lot and enjoys doing it all.

It IS hard for me right now. He agreed to significantly cut back on some things for a while and I think that's really only fair at the moment (seeing how he got me into this situation ). I'm trying not to reign him in too much since he really, really loves what he does everyday and all of the "extras" are things he happily committed to do.

All I can say on the subject outside of the more private Marriage forum is that his strengths can also be his weaknesses....

Jennifer

[Vanquisher]

Yeah, I think a lot of residents put in those extra hours at home reading, researching, and doing other projects. I was referring to just the hours at the hospital where they are techinically working. I was talking to a friend of mine whose husband is a general surgery intern and he said he averages over 110 hours per week. I think this is just atrocious, and I didn't know what to say to help her. Residents are put in such an impossible predicament, live with it or face the backlash that comes after you report it. I can't imagine losing accredidation and not being board certified because you had the guts to stand up to the abuse.

Anyway, here we are breaking 80 occasionally (last week 90+). It upsets me when it happens, but it isn't as aggregious as the type of hours my friend described. For the most part my husband banks right around 80. Squeezing every last minute. LOL!! Are there any kind of real solutions to this problem right now, or only dangerous - job and livelihood -threatening ones?

What and where is the more private Marriage forum?

[Cumberland]

It really depends on the rotation. When he was on gyn-onc, he was working between 110-130 for the whole six weeks. Now he hits 80 pretty much every week with a little bit over the top. This week it would be 80 but he has his board exam on Saturday which will make it an extra six or eight.