Friday, April 14, 2006

Why my life feels like the inside of a trash compactor (or: some second thougths about medical school)

*****

Sample schedule for May-June:
Monday - Saturday, with Sundays "off" for catchup
- study 8-noon
- lunch
- study 1pm-7pm
- dinner
- study 8- midnight

Each day, cover the equivalent of what I "learned" in 4-6 weeks of school.

******

Sample schedule for July 2006-July 2007
(Except for surgery, which starts at 5am and ends around 7pm)

Monday-Friday:
7 am: Pre-rounds
9 am: Work rounds
9:30: "Hour of Power" ("this is when you and the intern crank on the scut. Speed and efficiency during this critical period will determine what time you and intern go home.")
11am: Attending rounds
12 pm: Noon conference
1pm -??? Afternoon work
evenings: study up on patients for the next day

Saturdays:
"Morning" rounds

Sundays:
"off", except we have to study for those pesky shelf exams

24- hour call: not too frequent (2-4 times a month?), but pretty darn mean anyway.

*****

Best and easiest year of medical school: 4th year (Summer 2007-Spring 2008)
(Husbands, babies, picket fences and seeing Africa and/or South America????
.....Currently taking reservations ;-)

Hardest year in medicine: Internship (1st year of residency: Summer 2008-Fall 2009)

*****

How much I will owe the US government when I graduate in June 2008: ~$200,000

What does that mean in payment plans???
- $2000 per month for 10 years straight

Average pay for residents: $35,000

Average residency length: 4 years

*****

How far away am I from needing a Xanax-cranberry-vodka cotail right now?
- really really not that far.

*****

3 comments:

Marcia said...

You know you're a doctor when you see that list and think "wow, I can't wait to be there..."

You know you'd rather be there than sitting around in class studying :)

The Lone Coyote said...

Well, thanks for brightening my evening with that reality check. Believe me, I feel the same way....

But just for the record, I plan to study for boards for ONLY 12 hours/day because I have already finished Q-Bank 7 times and memorized the holy trinity of BRS and 1st Aid. I plan to get a 270 on step 1 and match at a top dermatology program in the nation.
Then I plan to open a 24-hour-Botox practice in Orinda and pay back my loans in 2 years using the cash-only payments from rich housewives. I will have 4 children, a stay-at-home wife to clean the house for me, a McMansion with a white picket fence, and 2 golden retrievers named for fine white wines. I will drive a Mercedes with a personalized plate referencing my status as an MD. I will look back on these years as I eat fine imported cheese and see this as a mild bump in the road to accomplishing true happiness as a DOCTOR.

hibiscusfire said...

I can't wait until I have Riesling and Chenin Blanc running handsomely in my back yard ;-)

Thanks for reminding me that living alone, on $5 a day, and with ants for pets is really not that bad.