Resident Call

[Kierstin Bonning]

Good morning.

2024-2025 academic year will be the first year that we are at full complement, so we are still a relatively new program.  We have also had some changes in our hospital as far as our Trauma level.  I am concerned with the number of calls that are given to our PGY 2 residents.  They are hit hard, and I see the toll it takes on them.  I am hoping that some of you may be willing to share how your call schedules are organized.

1. Who puts together your call schedule?

2. Does your program do 24-hour call?

3.  How many calls per year does each PGY level cover?

4.  Are able to share a sample call schedule?

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my question and I hope to hear from some of you.

Have a great day!

Kierstin Bonning

[Laurel Lewis]

Hi Kierstin,

You are acting just like any great coordinator would – looking out for your residents!  I remember feeling this way until I dug a little deeper and talked to my residents about this.  They explained that these are the rights of passage, and following in the footsteps of those who came before is exactly what they expected.  🙂  Do they like it?  Not all the time.  But in the end, they don’t usually don’t have regrets because they grow so much in PGY2.

Since every residency is unique, I’m hoping you’ll receive more responses so you can hear other perspectives.

PGY2 is the year that residents in our program take the most call.  It is a huge learning year for them, with senior backup, of course.  Currently, we have a 3 per year program and our PGY2s take 5-6 call nights as first call.  Also, there is a PGY4 or PGY5 assigned to that night as the backup.  They will come in or just field phone calls from the PGY2 – whatever is needed.  There is also a trauma faculty member who take call each night, as well as Sports, Joints, Hand, and Foot/Ankle faculty surgeons.  What I really appreciate about the backup residents and our faculty is that we never hear them complain about being called; it is about the patients and helping each other do what is best.

Our PGY5 Administrative Chief is in charge of the call schedule, with oversight by our PD.  They take into account rotations, post call days, vacation time, and any other administrative duties or events happening for each resident.  Yes, we do a 24-hour call on the weekends.  On a weekday call day, a resident will attend their rotation, call starts about 5PM after they take sign out from the ortho trauma team (we are Level 1 trauma).  The next day, the post call resident attends trauma sign-out and then they are on their way home for a post call day.

It is easier for me to give you call numbers by month:

• PGY5 – Backup call only, 5-6 nights
• PGY4 – Backup call (4-5) and 2 first call nights
• PGY3 – Call nights 3-4
• PGY2 – Call nights 5-6
• PGY1 – Buddy Call only, when rotations allow

I have attached the ACGME Program Requirements – Ortho (starting about pg 52) for more fun reading! 🙂

I hope this helps!

~Laurel

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Kierstin Bonning]

Thank you so much Laurel!

[Author]

Posts