Duty Hours Policy

UT Medical School at Houston Duty Hours Policy for Medical Students on Clinical Clerkships

Clerkships must provide students with adequate time for individual study, sleep and relaxation. The following policies set forth the acceptable amount of time that clerkships may require of students. “Duty hours” include inpatient and outpatient clinical activities and scheduled academic exercises such as conferences and lectures that are related to the clerkship.

I. Total duty hours must not exceed 80 hours per week, averaged over a four-week period.

II. Call will be scheduled to coincide with the attending and resident team.

III. Duty hour periods in the hospital will not exceed 30 consecutive hours.

IV. In each month the clerkship will provide each student with four individual 24-hour periods free from any required clinical or educational activities.

Clerkship directors are responsible for overseeing this policy.