PICU
We do a one month rotation in the PICU during the second and third year of residency. Emergency Medicine and Anesthesia Residents also rotate through our PICU. There are three or four residents in the unit each month. If there are only three residents, a fourth resident (usually a second year Pediatric Resident) will cross-cover and take calls for two weeks (only three or four calls total) so that call is every fourth night. Our unit is 12 beds so each resident carries three or four patients at a time.
Here's a typical day in the PICU:
I come in around 6:00 a.m. to pre-round and write notes on my patients. There is usually a lecture at 7:00 a.m. given by one of the Critical Care attendings on a topic related to critical care such as ventilator management or mock codes. Morning Report is at 8:00 a.m. Rounds start at 8:30 a.m. and usually last until 11:00 a.m. We act as a unified team during rounds and help put in orders, look at x-rays, and make plans for all of the patients. Many of our patients are post-op cardiac patients, so the cardiologists are included on most of rounds. After rounds, if I'm not on call, I would finish up orders, consults, and notes for my patients, go to noon conference, and usually leave by 2:00 p.m. (unless I have continuity clinic). When I'm on call, the rest of the day/night I take new admissions, help with new problems that arise, and do some procedures. Often you are on call with a fellow, but if not, an attending will stay in-house when things are busy.