Thanks for the response. I'll definitely keep that in mind as I pick a specialty. I'm only a med student right now, but I have spent a year rotating through al

Thanks for the response. I'll definitely keep that in mind as I pick a specialty. I'm only a med student right now, but I have spent a year rotating through all of the most common specialties. I have to say that the culture you describe isn't unique to the ED. I've seen it throughout the hospital. Taking time off isn't easy in any specialty. I've found this to be especially true in the niche subspecialties (especially surgical subspecialties). I work with a colorectal surgeon who is the only colorectal surgeon at her particular hospital. She's responsible for all of the patients she's ever treated and any emergencies that may need a colorectal surgeon. It's nearly impossible for her to ever take time off or even leave the city for more than a few days. An advantage that I see for ED physicians is that they're not directly tied to patients. Any ED physician can fill in for another when the need arises. I can't speak to whether that actually happens, but theoretically it's possible in the ED.