(Australian equivalent of OB/GYN resident)
Well it’s really a night in the life as I do one week of on site night duty each 5 weeks-
7:30pm leave to drive to work
8pm start 12 hour shift- handover from day registrar, go and introduce myself to women in labour ward.
Manage labour ward- all labouring women plus unscheduled antenatal attendances, complications.
Manage complicated postnates e.g. preeclampsia, FDIU
Manage complicated post operative gynaecology patients
Handle all ED calls
Run first trimester complications service including performing ultrasounds and counselling re: miscarriages and options for treatment
Perform D&Cs booked from previous day if not yet had OT time
Teach residents/medical students/midwives (if any are around).
Try and fit in some study if able (time and energy wise)
8:00am Handover to day registrar (if I’m lucky, and not in OT performing caesarean section or instrumental delivery)
Drive home. Try not to crash
9am Home, hello to husband and son, crash into bed
330pm Wake up- generally too hot to go back to sleep (I always seem to get nights on the 40 degree days). If I am lucky, son hasn’t worked his way into bed and woken me before now (Husband is good at keeping him away but 4 year olds are wily!)
Play with family
5pm eat dinner together
7 pm get ready for work- do it all over again
We do 7 in a row- the cumulative fatigue is a killer
Well that is what it was like before- now when I return from maternity leave after baby number 2 (the princess, 5 months old) in January there will be an extra breastfed body to figure into the equation- so you can add pumping time and woken for day feeds in there too. Still not sure how it’s all going to work….
About me:
34, halfway through my specialty training program in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Wife to a wonderful Stay at Home Dad and Mum to Master 4 and Miss 5 months.
-"Juggler"
Key: Registrar = Vocational trainee (equivalent to Resident in the US)
Resident = Pre-vocational trainee (equivalent to Intern in the US)
Juggler ~ Ah, yes, what my training program lovingly referred to as "night float." We did this for a month at a time, Sunday night through Thursday night 3 or 4 times a year. I thought I would have to buy stock in Tylenol PM, I had such issues sleeping during the day!
ReplyDeleteI, fortunately, did not have 2 small children to care for as I did this, as you do. Makes the job infinitely more difficult! Life does get better (even if my post doesn't seem like much of a change!!) Hang in there!