I always say that when people are asking you the same questions over and over, that means it’s time for a blog post! So if I have brides asking me for engagement session outfit ideas or photographers asking what lenses I use, I’ll blog it! Same goes for personal things. And lately the question I always get is “How is Branden liking residency?”, so that means it’s time for a blog post!

In case you haven’t been following me for a while, let me back up. My husband, Branden, is an Ob/Gyn resident at EVMS in Norfolk, Virginia. In case you’re not in the medical field or don’t watch Grey’s, residency is the next step after medical school. While he is technically a doctor, he has to complete a 4 year residency to become a fully certified Ob/Gyn. Branden is just over halfway through his second year of residency, so I’ve had a lot of people asking how it’s going! So here’s all the answers to your questions!

• How are the hours? They are brutal, but we knew that going into it, so it wasn’t a huge shock. They do different rotations 4 weeks at a time. The labor & delivery rotations are the worst and most intense hour and work wise. 12 hour shifts 5-6 days a week. When he’s on a clinic rotation, the hours vary and can be less. They also do 24 hours shifts a few times a month. On average, they’re working 60-80 hours a week. They are not allowed to do more than 80 a week, by law.
• How many babies has he delivered? Over 340! Some vaginal, some c-section!
• Does he like the work? Yes! I mean, it’s hard to love any work that you have to do 80 hours a week, but in the end, he does like the work that he is doing. He especially loves doing surgeries!
• Does he get along with his coworkers? Yes! That’s honestly been the best part of residency- the people! He is really lucky to work with an awesome group of people and make some great friendships along the way! I will even hang out with his coworkers on my own when he’s working! And all the nurses and patients love Branden! If you’ve met my husband, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they would love all his corny dad jokes and magic tricks!
• How long does he have left? He has 2.5 years left! Then he’ll be able to join a regular Ob/Gyn practice. If he wanted to specialize, he would have to do a fellowship which would be another 2-3 years. But as of right now, he doesn’t intend to specialize.
• Do you guys get to see each other? Yes and no. My working from home definitely allows us to see each other more than if I were still working my regular 9-5. Especially when he’s on nights and is only home and awake from 2-4 in the afternoon. But during wedding season, our schedules can sometimes perfectly line up where we hardly get to see each other. He will usually work either Sunday or Saturday each week, so it’s unfortunate when he works Sunday and has Saturday off, while I have a Saturday wedding and have Sunday off.
• Will he deliver your kids? This is a question we always get, but we don’t really know the answer! I don’t think he is technically allowed to be the official provider for a family member. But I imagine that if things are going smoothly during delivery, the doctor would let him step in. So we’ll get back to you on that! (And in case there is any confusion, I am not pregnant! haha!)
• Has he seen anything crazy? Define ‘crazy’. They are so desensitized to all the things they see at the hospital, so what may seem crazy to you and me is just another day at the office to them. The hospital he works at is the where all high risk pregnancies in southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina are sent. So they definitely see a lot of tough, and sometimes crazy, cases. But unfortunately, I can’t really share any specific details with you. Sorry!

So I think that covers all the most commonly asked questions! But all-in-all, I am so proud of him and how far he’s come. When he first told me in college that he wanted to switch to pre-med, I wanted to punch him in the face. I knew it would be a long and hard road, which it has been, but I definitely think it’s been worth it! He gets to do work that is not only super important, but also work that he loves. And we’re at the point now where we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! Hopefully these next two and a half years will fly by!

Here are some past posts about his journey to become a doctor! 

Branden’s Specialty Choice

EVMS Match Day 2016

EVMS 2016 Graduation