Doctor’s Work Schedule: What a Month Looks Like

asperharry
Dec 5, 2024
4 min read

Ever wonder what a doctor’s work schedule actually looks like? I get it—sometimes it feels like we’re always at the hospital, but it’s not as wild as people might think. Sure, there’s overtime and some crazy weeks, but we do get time off (I promise we don’t live at the hospital).

I thought I’d break down a typical month in my life as a doctor, complete with shifts, hours, and what all those different colors on the roster actually mean. For context, I’m a surgical registrar, so my schedule might look a bit different compared to interns or residents, but this should still give you a good idea of what it’s like.

Week 1: A Mix of Long Days and Half Days

Monday: 7:30 AM – 8:30 PM (13 hours)
This was an on-call day, meaning I held the phone for all referrals, ED admissions, and external inquiries for our unit. It’s a big day, but I usually arrive around 7:15 AM and (if I’m lucky) leave on time after handing over to the night team.
Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 1:30 PM (6 hours)
Tuesdays are half days, which feel like a blessing. You finish early and get the afternoon off to recharge.

Wednesday & Thursday: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM (10 hours each day)
These are your standard full-day shifts. On Wednesday, I was on standby for night shift, meaning I could’ve been called in if someone rostered for the night couldn’t make it. Luckily, that didn’t happen!
Friday: 7:30 AM – 1:30 PM (6 hours of work + 5 hours of paid training time)
As a registrar, I get 10 hours of paid training time per fortnight. I finished my shift early and used the rest of the day for study or training.

Weekend: Completely off!

Total Hours for Week 1: ~50 hours, including training time.

Week 2: A Bit More Intense

Monday: 7:30 AM – 6:30 PM (11 hours)
This was another training day, so I got to leave around 1:30 PM and use the extra hours for studying.
Tuesday – Thursday: Standard full days (7:30 AM – 5:30 PM).
Wednesday: On-call day (13 hours). Holding the on-call phone means juggling referrals, admissions, and updates—it’s hectic, but it’s part of the job.
Friday: Another training day with the same setup as Monday.

Saturday & Sunday: On standby for sick calls. I didn’t get called in, but I had to stay close to home, ready to jump in if needed.

Total Hours for Week 2: ~54 hours, including on-call standby.

Week 3: Same as Week 2 (Consistency, Sort Of)

This week was almost identical to Week 2 in terms of hours and shifts. I had a couple of 10-hour shifts, one 13-hour on-call day, and another two training days (11 hours each, but with time to study after the first half).

The main difference was that Friday’s night standby shift could’ve thrown me into an overnight grind, but thankfully, I wasn’t called in. That’s always a win!

Total Hours for Week 3: ~54 hours again, plus any minor overtime.

Week 4: Transition to Night Shifts

The start of Week 4 was pretty relaxed because I was transitioning into a run of night shifts:

Monday & Tuesday: Days off (finally).

Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 12:30 PM (5 hours of training).

Thursday – Sunday: Night shifts, 8:00 PM – 8:00 AM (12 hours each).

Night shifts are a whole different ballgame. You work through the night, handling admissions, ward calls, and emergencies. By the end of the week, I’d done 7 consecutive nights (84 hours total). The good part? After a run of night shifts, you usually get 7 days off to recover.

Total Hours for Week 4: ~53 hours, just from the nights.

Over the four weeks, my hours varied between 50-54 hours most weeks, with the exception of the heavy night shift week. It’s a lot, but the variety keeps things interesting. The training time is a perk of being a registrar—you get paid to study, which is something interns and residents don’t always get.

A Quick Breakdown of Shifts:

On-Call Days (13 hours): You’re juggling referrals, phone calls, and admissions.
Training Days (11 hours): These are split between clinical work and self-directed study.
Night Shifts (12 hours): Back-to-back nights can be tough, but they’re part of the job.
Half Days (6 hours): A sweet relief in a busy week.
Weekends: Some weekends are completely off, while others require standby duty or even actually going into work...

Being a doctor means working a fair bit, but it’s not as overwhelming as people think—at least not every week. Some days are long, but you also get breaks, downtime, and time to focus on training. Hopefully, this gives you a clearer idea of what a doctor’s roster really looks like, whether you’re curious or planning to head into medicine yourself.

If you’ve got any questions about schedules, shifts, or anything else, just dm me or leave a comment :)

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