The Impact of Long Working Hours on Resident Physicians

Even without long hours, residency training would be stressful. Multiple demands are placed on house officers, who often find there is more work to do than time to do it. The beeper interrupts; pages come more quickly than they can be answered. Residents feel insecure about their competence; they must assume major responsibility for medical decisions, even though their knowledge and clinical skills are at times inadequate. The sense of inadequacy is exacerbated by the competitive environment and the intimidating nature of teaching rounds, especially in university hospitals. To disagree with attending physicians over questions of patient care can bring . . .