I don't remember for sure, but I thought the 88 hour change at Harvard was only approved for (or was only to apply to) the trauma and the hand services, just my vague recollection though.

As for an opinion, I don't really have one. I've heard several programs talk about the 80 hour work week as if it's an 88 hour work week anyway. I don't remember specifics, but I remember several people talking about how the 80 hr/wk is "really 88 hrs/wk". I don't really think those 8 hours matter, unless you would get in trouble with the feds for them.....which could be a problem if programs just assume they get the extra 8 hours without asking (I don't know the rules well enough to offer much help).

My real opinion is that either way, 80 or 88 hours is better than 120 hours....and 120 hours of ortho is better than 80,90,120 of GenSurg (or 60 hours of medicine ).


One week to go, I'm not comptely psychotic yet.....yet.

I second you on that one SLUPodHopeful. Any number of hours is better than Medicine. I'm on my Medicine Sub-internship right now, and even though I the average time that I get out is 3pm, I would kill myself if I had to do Medicine for 3 years.

The Residency Review Committee will allow pretty much any surgical residency program to use the 10% above 80 hrs if they want to. The RRC won't worry too much even for the occasional 95 hr week, as long as the average is at 88 or so.

I agree that most ortho programs are likely to use the extra 8 hrs and I'd be skeptical of a program that said their residents never worked over 80 hrs/wk. Additionally, remember that the duty hour limitations are for your clinical duties only and you'll be spending a lot more time than that at home studying that doesn't count towards the 80 (or 88) hours.

At my program, we have a 88 hr week exemption and often work up to the mid-90s, but this is balanced with just as many 70s. I think the whole 80 hr thing results in missed OR cases and EXTRA hours each week in terms of paperwork and scheduling problems in return for not having to be afraid to say "I got demolished last night on call and need to go home to get some sleep so I don't kill anybody". Is it worth it -- maybe, but I'm a guy who was in a no-shit 120 hr/wk program for a year a while ago.

It's ok to be concerned about the hour limits, but I think it shouldn't even be on your list of things to consider about your rank list. And if you are, definately don't be the idiot who turns in his own program and gets it on probation because he works over 80 hrs one week the first month of his internship.

That's what I wanted to say,
If I could only come up with intelligent thoughts and type them out.....thanks for clearing up my ramblings Twofingers....

So I guess the moral is I wouldn't change my opinion of any program just b/c they work 88 hours a week, to answer the original question.