Average Duty Hours

Duty hours vary, depending on the rotation; for the last several years, the average duty hours have been approximately 52-55 hours per week. For the academic year of 2023-2024, the anesthesia residents have averaged 53 hours per week.

Frequency of Call Shifts

Call responsibilities vary, depending on the rotation. We have a night float rotation for OR call (beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday and ending at 7 a.m. on Saturday). Night float is scheduled in two separate two-week blocks each year for CA1, CA2, and CA3 residents. OB has a separate night float call schedule. OB night float is approximately two weeks each year. In addition, residents take call (OB or OR) approximately four to six Saturdays and Sundays each year.

In the SNICU/CVICU, residents are on call roughly every third night - with specified days off to ensure compliance with duty hour rules.

Cardiac anesthesia residents take call from home approximately every three to five days (and share call responsibilities with the cardiac anesthesia fellow). Cardiac anesthesia residents get the next day off, even if they were not called-in to do a case.

Acute pain/regional residents take call from home. However, the in-house call residents can help out by handling simple problems (for example, changing the epidural infusion rate or replacing a pump battery) so that the resident does not need to come in from home for something simple.

CA1 residents do not start to take OR night call until October of their CA1 year.

Interns on the ACM orientation rotation (second half of intern year) do not take call. Interns on non-anesthesia rotations take call according to the schedule of the primary service (Medicine, Surgery, PICU, SNICU/CVICU, etc.). All services are expected to ensure that interns comply with ACGME duty hour rules. If interns (or residents) are having a problem complying with ACGME duty hour rules, they should contact the senior resident on the service, the anesthesia chief residents, or the Anesthesia Program Director. The Department of Anesthesia regularly monitors violations and works with the various departments to create solutions if chronic problems with violations exist.