For many people in medical training, one period of time that they look forward to is the elective period. Most of the time, these periods are available for people to explore potential career opportunities, whether it is a certain subspecialty or a research opportunity. Usually, people are not on call and weekends are free, luxuries that are often sparse during the rigors of medical training. Most of the time, one can take vacations during this period of time with the potential for recuperation. However, at times, one can be on backup call in the event that a colleague becomes sick and needs coverage.
In my experience, there is an honor code that underlies this type of system. I have had my fair share of being called in at times to cover an ailing colleague. The assumption is that the person calling out has a serious illness that makes it difficult for him or her to execute their medical duties. There is a trust involved between colleagues when it comes to these periods, especially since the times of a lighter schedule can be few and far between, and colleagues calling in for relief can take some of that time away. However, there are examples of that trust being violated, and in those situations, people have a tougher time trusting their colleagues if relief from duties is requested due to illness.
A powerful reminder of this took place near the end of my residency. One of the residents had called out sick, and another resident had to come in to do his particular shift. The resident that came in acted under the assumption that he was covering for an ailing colleague; however, a few days later, pictures of the resident that called out sick appeared on Facebook that same evening. He was out having a good time at a party while another resident was covering his shift in good faith. When word got around, the “sick” resident was chastised, and any further attempt to call out sick was looked at with suspicion.
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