Media Contact:
Kelly Thibert, DO, MPH National President
American Medical Student Association
Email: [email protected]
Sterling, VA – December 20, 2016: The dangers of excessively long shifts may soon become a renewed reality if the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) moves forward with proposed revisions to the Common Program Requirements that govern the resident work environment.
Since 2011, policies have been in place to protect first-year resident physicians from these risks. The ACGME enacted these protections after evidence showed that sleep deprivation from extended duty shifts increased the likelihood of motor vehicle accidents, needlestick injuries, exposure to bloodborne pathogens, and depression among medical residents. Despite this evidence, the 2011 policy changes, and even more recent research findings, the ACGME is now considering allowing first-year residents (interns) to work 28 consecutive hours or more.
The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) has submitted formal comments to the ACGME regarding Section VI of the Common Program Requirements, The Learning and Working Environment, during the recent 45-day open comment period, which closed on December 19, 2016. View AMSA’s comments here.
“The fact that the ACGME is considering rolling back its recently amended policies on work hour restrictions and resident safety contradicts the additional language they have introduced regarding resident well-being. These restrictions were put in place due to clear evidence of risk to resident physicians and align with the ACGME’s mission to ‘improve health care and population health by assessing and advancing the quality of resident physicians’ education…’ Now, more than ever, as depression and suicide rates among physicians-in-training, residents, and practicing physicians reach an all-time high, we must ensure we are protecting resident well-being. Rolling back these restrictions is not the way to do it,” said Dr. Kelly Thibert, national president of AMSA for 2016-17.
About AMSA:
AMSA is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. To learn more about AMSA, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us online at http://amsa.org.
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