Do residents get days off?

Yes, medical residents get paid time off, typically 2-4 weeks of vacation per year, plus additional days for interviews or specific leaves like parental/caregiver leave, though schedules vary by specialty and program. While they work long hours and often holidays, regulations ensure at least one day off per seven days on average, often as "golden weekends" (consecutive Saturdays and Sundays off).

Do residents work 7 days a week?

These limitations mean residents can work no more than 80 hours per week, no more than 24 consecutive hours on duty, cannot be on-call more than every third night, and should have one day off per week.

How many vacation days do residents get?

In most programs, residents receive 3-4 weeks of vacation per academic year where they're free from educational and clinical work. Depending on your program, this may come in the form of 2-week stretches, 1-week stretches, or a combination. This is your best opportunity in residency to go somewhere for vacation.

Do residents get weekends off?

On most inpatient rotations in residency, you're working ~6 days a week. If you have two days off in a row on the weekend (aka a normal weekend for most people) that's considered a ✨golden weekend✨

Can you take time off from residency?

Generally speaking, 9–12 weeks (3–4 weeks per year) of this leave will be from institutional allowances for time off for all residents; programs will continue to follow their own institutional or programmatic leave policies for this.

[VLOG] A Day OFF in Residency! (Kinda Sorta)

Do resident doctors get sick days?

Yes. Residents/fellows are provided with fully paid leave of absence of up to six (6) weeks at least once during their training for a medical, parental and/or caregiver purpose starting the day the resident/fellow is required to report.

What doctor gets the most vacation time?

Average paid vacation time off by specialty for doctors

• Anesthesiology: 35.
• Cardiology: 28.
• Endocrinology: 25.
• Family medicine: 24.
• Gastroenterology: 25.
• Geriatric medicine: 23.
• Hematology/oncology: 23.
• Hospice/palliative care: 24.

How much do 2 year residents make?

Second-year (PGY-2) residents earn roughly $60,000 to $75,000 annually, with averages around $65,000-$73,000 in 2024-2025, depending on the institution, location, and specialty, with figures like $69,000 at Banner University and $72,672 at UT Southwestern showing typical increases over first-year pay. 

What doctor makes $500,000 a year?

Doctors in surgical and high-demand procedural specialties frequently earn over $500,000 annually, with top earners often being Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Cardiology, and Thoracic Surgery, driven by complex skills, high demand (especially with aging populations), and lucrative elective procedures or emergency needs. Other fields like Radiology, Gastroenterology, Urology, and Anesthesiology also see average incomes exceeding this threshold.
 

Is a 3.7 GPA too low for med school?

No, a 3.7 GPA is not bad for medical school; it's generally considered competitive, often around the average or slightly below for highly selective MD programs, but strong enough for many schools, especially with an upward trend and a good MCAT score. A 3.7 combined with a strong BCPM (Science) GPA (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math) and compelling extracurriculars makes you a viable applicant, though lower GPAs might need more exceptional scores or experiences to compensate. 

Is residency harder than med school?

Yes, residency is generally considered harder than medical school, but in a different way; medical school is academically intense with exams, while residency trades academic pressure for real-world responsibility, longer hours, physical exhaustion, critical patient-care decisions, and emotional stress, though it's where you truly become a doctor. Residency shifts focus from book learning to hands-on, high-stakes clinical practice, often involving 80+ hour weeks, overnight calls, and constant responsibility for patients' lives, making it more draining on stamina and time. 

Do you get benefits during residency?

Frequent benefits for residents

The benefits most commonly provided to residents included: Paid maternity leave—offered at 100% of residency programs in the study. Paid paternity leave—98.7%. Long-term disability insurance—90.1%.

Do doctors work 7 days on 7 days off?

Yes, many hospital-based doctors, especially hospitalists, work a common "7 days on, 7 days off" schedule, working long shifts (often 12 hours) for a week, including weekends, then having a full week off, which allows for long periods of rest but can lead to burnout during work weeks. This schedule ensures continuity of care for patients but is just one model, with other specialties like emergency medicine or surgery having different patterns, and some doctors even prefer more frequent, shorter shifts.
 

Do residents get paid overtime?

That said, although the resolution to this problem may seem simple, per the AAMC, medical residents are exempt from the FLSA due to the “learned professional exemption,” and therefore not subject to the FLSA requirements regarding overtime pay and minimum wage.

Do residents really work 80 hour weeks?

Yes, medical residents typically work up to 80 hours per week, averaged over four weeks, as mandated by the ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) in the U.S., but actual hours vary significantly by specialty, rotation, and institution, with some rarely hitting 80 and others consistently nearing or exceeding it, even amidst controversies about compliance and the impact on resident well-being. 

How many hours of sleep do resident doctors get?

Resident physicians in all specialties averaged 5.7 hours of sleep a night in PGY-1, and only 13.8 minutes more a night in PGY-2, a nationwide survey shows. Among more than 1,600 PGY-1 residents in 21 specialties, those in pathology got the most sleep, an average of 6.9 hours a night.

What is the lowest paid Dr.?

The lowest-paid doctor specialties consistently fall in primary care and certain pediatric subspecialties, with Pediatrics often cited as the lowest overall, followed by Public Health/Preventive Medicine, Family Medicine, and pediatric subspecialties like Endocrinology, Rheumatology, and Infectious Diseases. These roles offer lower compensation than surgical or high-demand adult specialties, often due to the broad nature of primary care and the focus on children's health, though they provide excellent work-life balance for many.
 

What jobs in the US pay $300,000 a year?

Jobs paying $300,000 or more in the U.S. are typically senior roles in technology, finance, law, and medicine, including roles like CEOs, Chief Technology Officers, Investment Bankers, Partner-Level Lawyers, Surgeons, and Specialized Physicians, along with top-tier Sales Directors, Management Consultants, and Private Equity Executives, often relying on bonuses, commissions, or profit-sharing for high earnings. High-income careers without traditional degrees can also be found in tech entrepreneurship, high-level skilled trades, and top-performing sales. 

Is the average doctor a millionaire?

One-quarter of doctors in their 60s are not even millionaires. The chart from the prior year was even more stunning, as it showed 11%-12% of doctors in their 60s didn't even have a net worth over $500,000, and only 48% of doctors over 65 were multi-millionaires.

Which residency pays the most?

The highest-paying medical residencies are typically in surgical and procedural specialties like Orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Cardiology, and Radiology, often paying over $60k-$65k+ annually during residency and leading to much higher physician salaries post-residency, though resident pay varies significantly by PGY year and location. While actual resident salaries rise with training level (PGY), these fields promise the greatest long-term earning potential, with some surgeon roles averaging $650k+ after training.
 

Is a resident considered a real doctor?

A resident is a physician who has already received his/her medical degree, and is completing additional training in his/her specialty of choice. Residency is a stage of graduate medical training and can vary anywhere between three to seven years, depending on the specialty.

Do residents get paid hourly?

The hourly rate of residents varies significantly because while pay is based on a set salary, the number of hours worked can vary by specialty, institution, and year of training. For example, if the resident salary is $60,000 a year and the physician works 50 hours a week, they make approximately $23 an hour.

What is the most overworked doctor?

Emergency medicine physicians experience the most intense burnout, with the highest emotional fatigue (68%) and depersonalization (55%). Therapists reported the next-highest rate of emotional fatigue at 61%, along with the highest mental fatigue (77%).

What is the least stressful type of doctor?

10 Physician Specialities With Low-Stress & More Flexibility

• Dermatology.
• Anesthesiology.
• Ophthalmology.
• Pediatrics.
• Psychiatry.
• Clinical Immunology/Allergy.
• General/Clinical Pathology.
• Nephrology.

What's the longest shift a doctor can work?

Yes, doctors can work 24-hour shifts. They are not on their feet, working for the duration of the shift, however. The 24 hours alludes to how long they're on call. Physicians are permitted to rest when they can find time during this shift, but they must be ready to go if or when they are called to attend to a patient.