Tips for Call as a Medical Student
Written by Shelly Mishra
At some point in medical training, you will be asked to do an overnight shift. This can mean either staying in the hospital for a full 24 hours or doing a week of night shifts. This is an experience that most people are not prepared for. During my preclinical years, I was dreading this. I was afraid I would not be able to function without a regular sleep schedule. However, once the time came to do the night shift, I was surprised by some of the benefits. On night float, there is no formal rounding. The residents from other teams will provide a very specific list of tasks or sign-out about patients.
I developed these strategies to learn and get sleep on a night float or 24-hour shift:
1. Plan out the night. If you are working with a group of classmates, organize tasks and roles at the beginning of the shift. In my case, our surgery night call starts at 6pm. We would assemble in the medical student lounge and divide the night into shifts so that some classmates could sleep in the call room while others were performing tasks. As an example, we would all stay up from 6pm to 8pm and then one half of the group would work from 8pm to 1am and the second half would work from 1am to 6am. This system ensured equity with work/sleep balance and people were allowed to choose based on their preference. Also, ask residents early on in the shift about the tasks for the night and divide those between your classmates.
2. Treat yourself early. If you are working with a group of classmates or alone, enjoy a nice meal. During my surgery night calls, my classmates would try to order food together. It was a nice way to bond with those that I would be spending the next 14 hours with and get to know my classmates. Having comradery with classmates makes the night shift much smoother and provides for better interactions during day shifts.
3. Try to get some personal tasks done at night when it’s slower. While 3am might not be the most ideal time to study as your focus and concentration for Anki/UWorld will be lower, there are still ways to study. If your school requires additional studying (Aquifer Cases, UWISE, etc) requirements, it can be a good time to do those requirements.
The night shift is certainly a daunting one, especially the first time. Having to quickly adjust sleeping schedules and circadian rhythms is a challenge. However, by making the most of this time with fellow students, residents, and even attendings, the night shift can be fun. It’s a time to truly learn the ropes of practicing medicine without the stress of responsibilities that come with day shifts. Some of my most memorable discussions with classmates were during night shifts, so I encourage others to make the most of the experience!
