| ■ Doctors-in-Training Get Shorter Work Day | 2010.10.01 |
| U.S. doctors-in-training will no longer work around the clock under new rules providing shorter work shifts and tighter supervision. The new rules are meant to safeguard patient safety and provide a humanistic environment for student doctors, according to the Chicago-based Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Associated Press reported. The council approved the new standards, which affect more than 110,000 doctors-in-training at U.S. hospitals, on Tuesday. Maximum hours will be cut for first-year residents only -- to 16 hours from 24 hours. New doctors can still work up to 80 hours a week, but they will be encouraged to nap. The rules, which take effect next July, also require medical residents to inform patients that more experienced doctors are supervising their work. |