Dr. John Hansen-Flaschen, professor of medicine, whose images of Lancaster Avenue appeared in our Jan/Feb issue, took these photographs for an exhibition called, “At Ease: Medical House Officers Post Call.” The accompanying text for the show reads as follows:
Medical residents at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania photographed after more than 30 hours of continuous service in the medical intensive care unit. All nine residents returned to work after their pictures were taken. Four patients died under the care of these physicians during the three tours of duty depicted here.
These photographs mark the end of unregulated work hours for house officers in the United States. On February 13, 2003, the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) adopted rules limiting resident tours of duty to 24 hours plus up to 6 hours for teaching and sign-out. Work weeks are not to exceed 80 hours. Residents are to have one day off in seven.
