Resident Work Limits: Solving the Wrong Problem
Monday, September 11th, 2006There is no question that a medical education is a rigorous experience with tough mental and physical challenges. The training period is great preparation for the real world life of a physician. Working long hours compacts years of experience into the training period. There is also no question that many physicians in training are chronically fatigued and overtaxed beyond the point of diminished performance. No one can argue with the adverse effects of fatigue on performance. Experts point out the impressive safety record achieved by the airline industry that limits pilots to about 80 flight hours a month. In an effort to combat the negative effects of fatigue on the training experience, academic medicine has now limited physicians in training to 30 consecutive work hours and an 80-hour workweek.
