Profession
Student work-hour limits to be studied
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 5, 2004
The AMA agreed to study work-hour restrictions for medical students, falling short of approving a request from its Medical Student Section to urge that the Liaison Committee on Medical Education adopt the same hour limits that apply to medical residents.
Adam Levine, a medical student speaking during the AMA Annual Meeting, said students have been helping fill the gap this past year as new work-hour caps force residents to go home. "I can attest to driving home after being awake for 36 hours and falling asleep at the wheel," he said.
Since July 1, 2003, residents have not been allowed to work more than 30 hours straight and no more than 80 hours per week, averaged over four weeks.
However, members noted that the LCME is in the midst of looking at medical student hours. There was concern that tying the LCME to standards set by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education would leave the LCME without the ability to make its own adjustments as necessary.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/07/05/prbf0705.htm.
