Overview
- The ACGME posted a draft revision of its Common Program Requirements on Sept. 8 that would reduce the total number of requirements by about 43% and is open for public comment through Oct. 22.
- The proposal would shorten guaranteed post-call rest after a 24-hour in-house shift from 14 hours to 12, remove the requirement for eight hours off between shifts, and eliminate the cap on in-house overnight call frequency while keeping the 80-hour weekly cap and the 24-hour continuous work limit.
- The task force says the changes aim to cut prescriptive rules and administrative burden and to replace specialty-specific duty-hour variants with a single common standard.
- Clinicians, trainees, and researchers warn the reduced recovery time and weaker scheduling safeguards could worsen sleep deprivation, increase burnout, and raise the risk of medical errors, noting residents already underreport duty-hour violations.
- ACGME expects to send a final draft to its Committee on Requirements and board in 2027 with a proposed effective date of July 1, 2028, and the draft also adds new lactation and pregnancy protections that could change local scheduling and staffing needs.