<p>On the average a doctor works 50-60 hours/week. EM has the shortest average work week, but EM docs work rotating shifts that always include weekends, holidays, nights and swing shift. </p>
<p>Surgeons of all types have highly variable schedules. For example, I have a friend who is transplant surgeon, his planned surgeries are long and are typically scheduled to start at 8-9 pm or later (when the OR is available for a long period of time) and last for 3-8 hours. He may get home at 3 am and still have to be back at the hospital at 7 am for rounds and appointments.</p>
<p>It would be extremely unusual for a physician to never have call-- which involves being available on nights and weekends (though not necessarily actually <em>in</em> the hospital, but available to go in on short notice). If the practice group has hospitalize patients, then whoever is on call that day will do hospital rounds. Surgical specialties almost always will have weekend rounds both Saturday and Sunday. Rounds can take anywhere from one hour to several hours depending on how many patients the doctor needs to check up on.</p>
<p>Doctors do get paid vacation and sick leave. (But scheduling a vacation often requires requesting time off 6 months in advance.)</p>
<p>Med students can and do get married. You need an understanding, patient and supportive spouse. (Residency is much worse than med school in terms of hours worked. Residents and fellows typically work 80 hours/week. )</p>
<p>In D1’s med school class, the divorce rate at the end of MS2 was ~60-65%.</p>
<p>Dentistry is separate career path from medicine.</p>
<p>Cardiology requires a 3 year internal medicine residency after medical school followed by a 3 year fellowship.</p>
<p>GI requires a 3 year internal medicine residency followed by a 3 year GI fellowship.</p>
<p>General surgery requires a 5 year residency. If you wish to have a surgical specialty, you will do a fellowship of 1-3 additional years after residency. Cardiothoracic is 3 additional years; colorectal is 1 additional year.</p>