The Day in the Life of a Physician

It's really hard to grasp what a doctors life is like day to day. There are people out there that make it sound like your personal life is over once you are a doctor. You will have no time for family, friends, hobbies...nothing. It sounds pretty bleak right? I know that shadowing a doctor is supposed to provide a premed with an honest view of what it is like to be an MD, however, I doubt that any shadowing program allows you to go whom with the doc and see what their life is like outside of the hospital. We are made to believe that their entire life is the hospital when in fact we all know that there are doctors who have happy functional fulfilling lives outside of medicine. I grew up not knowing any doctors. I didn't even have a regular pediatrician because we moved around so much, so my idea of what it is like to be a doctor is completely skewed. All I can go by is the advice that has been given to me by adcom members and advisors who all suggest that you are pretty much giving up your life as you know it. Maybe it is just their way of weeding out the dedicated individuals from the slackers. Either way I am beginning to think that doctors maintain this monastic lifestyle devoid of any kind of joy. I set out to find out what life is really like for a doctor on and off of work. So I did what any self respecting blogger would do...I googled "a day in the life as a physician." One of the first things to come up was a series of articles on a website called The Next Generation. They highlight what life is like for four different MD's from different specialties. Question two in an interview with an internist named Dr. Douglas Kelling asks:

2. What is your schedule like? How much time do you spend with each patient? When I am not on vacation, I work 7 days a week. Monday through Friday I start my hospital rounds between 5:30 am and 6:30 am. Rounds are usually completed by 8:30 am. I then go to my office, which is attached to the hospital. Monday through Thursday I see patients from 8:30 am until 6:00 pm. I take about 1/2 hr for lunch. I eat in the office. On Fridays, I see patients from 8:30 until noon. Friday afternoon is devoted to education and paperwork. After my office is closed, I go back to the hospital to work up new patients. About 7:00 pm I go home for supper. I return to the hospital about 8:00 pm and stay until 10:00 to 10:30 pm to see patients and do paperwork. On Saturday and Sunday I work at the hospital from 9:30 am until 5:00 pm rounds on patients and do paperwork.

This guy sounds intense. Maybe everyone was right about a doctors lifestyle. Someone please correct me if I am wrong in my assumptions.
Photo Credit: http://www.nextgenmd.org/vol1-5/kellingv1i5.html