The Washington Post reports that the 80-hour-a-week cap placed on U.S. medical residents since 2003 could be changed to a 60-hour-a-week cap if the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education approves the proposal at the end of April. The new hours would take effect in July 2011.
While I’m a big believer that education school programs should train teachers the same way that medical school programs train surgeons through hands-on experience, I do not support the 80-hour-a-week work schedule. To learn well, one needs sleep.
If 60 hours a week is not enough time to learn all the required content, then add another year to the program. At least the learner will be awake during the experience.