The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), which accredits resident training programs in the U.S., lists its standards for resident working conditions including expectations for work hours. Go to www.acgme.org and search for residents' work hours.

For a European perspective on this issue, go to www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/msjama/articles/vol_282/ no_13/europe.htm. The European Union has agreed to limit the work week to 60 hours by 2003 and 48 hours by 2012.

Ex-Hopkins surgical resident Risa Moriarity discusses the lengthy work hours and other factors that made her decide to leave the residency program: www.abcnews.go.com/onair/ABCNEWSSpecials/ chat_hopkins_000928.html.

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