Advice to the Next Generation
Questions from Our Readers, Answers from Physicians
Question
"I understand that most doctors today have come through a system that requires interns and residents to work 100 hours a week, most of that consecutively. This seems not only cruel and unusual, but also dangerous to patients who are depending on a clear-thinking and capable physician to help them with their illness. Do residencies still operate under this system? Is it changing, or is it a lost cause?"
– Susannah Clark, Tufts University
Answer
Due to the new work hours regulations set by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), there is now an enforced 80-hour work week with an average in 1 day in 7 off for a 4 week period and 10 hours off between shifts (http://www.acgme.org/acWebsite/dutyHours/dh_dutyHoursCommonPR.pdf). Although these regulations will prevent the every third to fourth night, 30-hour calls I did as an Obstetrics and Gynecology intern, you will still likely perform 24-hour shifts during your training, depending on the setup of the residency program. Night-float (residents who only work the night shift) relieves a good part of the overnight burden, but this practice varies according to specialty.
– Valencia D. Thomas, M.D., Harvard Dermatology Residency Program, Intern in Reproductive Medicine at the University of California San Diego.