Life as a Resident

Schedules

The yearly schedule for each resident is composed of 13 four-week blocks. There are some variations between individual schedules in each of the three years, but all have equal amount of time in the major areas: intensive care, inpatient wards, outpatient clinics, selective / electives and vacation. Call is equalized among members of the same year.

PL-1 Schedule

* Every intern does 2 months of combined inpatient/outpatient subspecialty (GI and Nephrology).  Call during these months is one Friday and one Saturday.

**The community and advocacy rotation is combined with a community urgent care clinic rotation for an integrated outpatient experience.

PL-2 Schedule

* 2 months total of ICU time (either 2 PICU or 1 NICU and 1 PICU).

PL-3 Schedule

* 2 months maximum of total of ICU time, some schedules with 1 month (not including cross-cover call). There is significant variability in emphasis of senior schedules on intensive care, inpatient medicine or ambulatory care to allow for individual customization of training.
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Life in the Hospital

Our program has successfully instituted a night float system for our Ward teams.  Currently, a dedicated team of two interns and one senior resident care for ward patients at night, allowing for the daytime teams to only take call on weekends.  There is also a night float system on the oncology ward, where a junior resident cares for patients at night.  The ICU's at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center still operate on an every fourth night call system. 

At LPCH, residents on call or on night float can gather in the Housestaff Lounge for meals, activities, and an evening educational curriculum for the night float teams. The lounge underwent a large remodel in 2007, creating a pleasant environment for relaxing and teaching.

On weekdays, breakfast and lunch are provided during Morning Report and Noon Conference. On weekends, food is ordered from local eateries. Residents (at LPCH, SCVMC and Kaiser) also receive cafeteria money credited to their ID badge for each night spent on call. These funds can also be used at the Starbucks Coffee Cart and Mrs. Fields Cookies at Stanford Hospital.
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Resident Duty Hours

Beginning in the 2002 – 2003 academic year, our program instituted duty hour guidelines for residents of all classes. In rotations where call is on average every 4th night, all residents sign-out post-call by noon on the following day (approximately 30 hours of duty time). There is no post-call afternoon continuity clinic. On average, residents have one weekend day each week entirely free, with one week per month as a ‘Golden Weekend” (both Sat and Sun off).  All residents have at least one weekend free per month.

Our Jeopardy call system consists of at least four residents on call for illnesses and emergencies.
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Resident Support and Retreats

In acknowledgement of the difficulties inherent in medical training and residency in particular, a variety of forums have been established for resident expression, exploration and general support. These include Intern Support Group, Housestaff Open Forum, Happy Hours, Holiday Parties and Resident Retreats. The residents have a formed a social committee which coordinates events outside of the hospital.  They are regularly involved in activities with the faculty, including frequent poker parties at attendings homes and annual bowling and softball matches.

Every year, each class of residents is covered for a 1 day (and 1-2 nights) retreat at staggered times through the year. Primarily planned by the class members, past retreats have included Monterey-area beach house, a ropes course, and the Costanoa coastal center. Residents are excused from duties and funding is provided.
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The Bay Area Lifestyle

With its central location, our program offers the opportunity to explore Stanford University campus, Palo Alto, the San Francisco Bay Area, and all of California. The campus itself offers unparalleled beauty and serenity surrounded by a myriad of extracurricular activities. Complimenting Stanford's world-renowned educational resources is a nationally competitive inter-collegiate sports program, providing a wide range of exciting matches. The near-perfect year-round weather will enable you to maintain your individual fitness pursuits, whether they be golf, tennis, cycling, running, hiking, or swimming. As a resident you will have access to Stanford University's recreation and sports facilities.

Off campus, the Palo Alto and San Francisco Bay areas offer some of the most exciting and desirable places to explore. Within three hours drive, you can visit Lake Tahoe, wineries in Napa Valley, the rugged coastline of Half Moon Bay, or the serene woods of Portola Valley.  For living accomodations, residents typically live in the communities surrounding campus, including Palo Alto, Mountain View or Menlo Park.  There are also convenient campus apartments available through the lottery system. City sponsored events, restaurants, theaters, clubs, museums, and recreation areas are abundant. The hills, valleys, and coastline of California are explored by automobile with remarkable ease, and three nearby airports make travel options limitless.

Driving Time to Nearby Destinations

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Housing

A variety of housing options is available to interns and residents in the Palo Alto area. The Office of Graduate Medical Education is working with hospital administration and Stanford University to expand the number of affordable rentals for our house staff.

Welch Road Apartments:
The Welch Road Apartments are located at the intersection of Pasteur Drive and Welch Road within easy walking distance to both Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Apartments are subsidized and configured as studio, one, and two bedroom units, and are available to incoming housestaff via lottery in early May of each year.

Stanford West Apartments:
The Stanford West Apartments are located on Sand Hill Road adjacent to the Medical Center within easy walking distance to both Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. The complex features one, two and three bedroom apartments. Assignment is by eligibility category and date of application.

Palo Alto Area
Current residents live in a variety of communities in the Bay Area, even including San Francisco itself. While many incoming residents express a strong desire to live in Palo Alto, rents are somewhat less expensive in neighboring areas such as Mountain View and Redwood City.
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Benefits

Please see the Stanford Graduate Medical Education Site for information on basic benefits and other benefits.
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