No one will ever agree on which residency is the hardest, or which residents work the most. However, with some new data from the FREIDA website, we get a better idea than ever before. (For more information about the FREIDA website, read my previous article) FREIDA reports diverse variables about each specialty including the average of numbers worked per week, the average number of days off per week, and the average vacation time of each specialty. I have compiled these into one database so that for THE FIRST TIME EVER you can compare objectively which residencies work the hardest. (Well, at least you can compare which work the longest).
The first figure demonstrates the average number of hours worked by each specialty. As expected, the surgical sub-specialties work the longest hours with neurosurgery leading the pack and general surgery following closely in second. Of the medical specialties, suprisingly, neurology works the most hours, with pediatrics and internal medicine following close behind. And at the bottom of the list… you guessed it, Dermatology. I wish I loved skin!
The results of the average number of days off per week and the average vacation time during residency follows closely with the trend seen in the graph above. For your viewing pleasure I have the entire compiled dataset posted below.
|
|
Hours worked per week |
Days off per week |
Vacation weeks per year |
|
Dermatology |
45.0 |
1.9 |
3.3 |
|
Nuclear Medicine |
47.4 |
1.8 |
3.5 |
|
Medical Genetics |
48.2 |
1.7 |
3.4 |
|
Radiation Oncology |
50.0 |
1.9 |
3.4 |
|
Pathology |
51.4 |
1.8 |
3.3 |
|
Ophthalmology |
51.8 |
1.6 |
3.3 |
|
Radiology |
51.8 |
1.7 |
3.5 |
|
PM&R |
54.2 |
1.6 |
3.4 |
|
Psychiatry |
55.7 |
1.5 |
3.3 |
|
Emergency Medicine |
56.6 |
1.6 |
3.3 |
|
Transitional Year |
60.5 |
1.3 |
3.1 |
|
Colon and Rectal Surgery |
61.3 |
1.4 |
3.3 |
|
Anesthesiology |
61.5 |
1.6 |
3.4 |
|
Family Medicine |
62.8 |
1.3 |
3.1 |
|
Internal Medicine |
63.7 |
1.2 |
3.4 |
|
Pediatrics |
64.2 |
1.3 |
3.4 |
|
Neurology |
64.6 |
1.3 |
3.4 |
|
Urology |
66.0 |
1.3 |
3.4 |
|
Otolaryngology |
67.7 |
1.2 |
3.1 |
|
Orthopaedic Surgery |
69.6 |
1.3 |
3.1 |
|
Obstetrics and Gynecology |
70.8 |
1.3 |
3.2 |
|
Plastic Surgery |
71.2 |
1.2 |
3.0 |
|
Vascular Surgery |
72.0 |
1.2 |
3.1 |
|
Thoracic Surgery |
73.0 |
1.1 |
3.2 |
|
General Surgery |
75.1 |
1.1 |
3.1 |
|
Neurological Surgery |
75.6 |
1.2 |
3.1 |
My name is Andrew and I am a first year resident training to be an ophthalmologist. I created ShortWhiteCoats to provide medical students, residents, and the public with all the information I spent so many hours looking for during medical school.
