"Rhythm of the Night": Medical student reflections on overnight trauma call

On their surgical clerkship, students reflected on their experience on a traditional overnight call. We explored whether perceived learning experiences differ between students who identify surgical specialties as their career compared to those who do not.

Medical students participated in traditional call at a Level 1 Trauma Center and submitted guided reflections. Reflections were coded using thematic analysis. We used Epistemic Network Analysis to compare codes based on matched specialty.

418 students submitted reflections between 2016 and 2019.95% learned something on call they could not have during daily services. Students who matched in surgical specialties connected more call learning experiences to formation of student agency through individualized teaching experiences and awareness of stamina.

Most students found participation in overnight call valuable, and professed increased awareness of their skills and future residency duties. Results indicate students who matched in surgical specialties had more formative experiences on call.