Your doctors may be lying about how long they worked today

America’s resident physicians have strict limits on how many hours they can work in the hospital. Many break that limit and keep quiet about it. Others lie. Resident physicians are the doctors-in-training that millions of Americans come into contact with at teaching hospitals across the country. We work for three to seven years (it depends on the medical specialty) under the supervision of attending physicians. From admission to discharge, we are the often-tired, ever-present doctors who likely take part in your hospital care. We are supposed to follow rules that specify how many hours we are able to work in a single stretch and over the course of a week. As an intern (a first-year resident), I’m not supposed to work more than 16 hours a day and no more than 80 hours a week (averaged over a four-week period). More senior residents can work for 24 hours straight but still can’t work more than an average of 80 hours a week. These limits are dictated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Education Hospital Residency Source Type: blogs