Residents Should Take Advantage of Paid Time Off

THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Although there are many demands on residents, taking advantage of paid vacation time is one of the perks and should be maximized, according to an article published in the American Medical Association’s AMA Wire.

Residents, who are typically offered between two and four weeks of vacation, were asked how they make the most of their extended time off.

The residents emphasized the importance of spending time with family. One resident described trying to coordinate vacation with other family members and noted the need for planning ahead. Time off can be rejuvenating and can enable residents to come back to work with new excitement. Getting involved in advocating for patients and physicians outside of the hospital can help residents cope with frustration and burnout experienced in the hospital. Going to a national conference can help, providing the opportunity to learn new things and meet different people. Finally, residents should get creative with their calendars, perhaps squeezing in short trips even when they are not able to get much time off so as not to miss important milestones.

“I often find myself excited to come back to work because the pace change can be so jarring to go from being on 100 percent on all of the time at work to go to this relaxing week,” Taylor George, M.D., a resident at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., said in the article.

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