Graduate Medical Education
Program Administration
Institutional Policy on Granting Duty Hour Exceptions
The GMEC respects the institutional policy set forth by the ACGME and
individual RRC policies regarding duty hours. Any variations from the
RRC requirements for a specialty must be approved by the GMEC prior to
submission to the ACGME. The following procedure will be used to
evaluate requests from programs for a 10% increase in the 80 hour work
week policy. Departments requesting an exception must have a favorable
status from the ACGME, and be in good standing without a warning or
adverse action. All requests will be reviewed by the GMEC. The ruling of
the GMEC will be final. If an endorsement is adopted by the GMEC, it
will be indicated by the signature of the Designated Institutional
Official (Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education) on the request
letter to the RRC.
Procedure:
- All requests for variance must be in writing to the GMEC and
submitted by the program director thirty days prior to the GMEC
meeting. The request should include:
- Educational need or rationale
- Justification of the addition of 8 hours per week
averaged on a four week period
- Any effect on patient safety
- Any effect on resident fatigue (which included how
it is monitored)
- Level of training which is effected
- Duration of the request (which will not exceed the
period before the next RRC review)
- Departmental Moonlighting policy
- Proposed call schedule
- If the GMEC reaches a favorable decision the Department may
petition the RRC.
