Since 2003, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has established work standards for resident doctors in the United States. This includes caps on hours worked in a week and in a day.

Originally, the group determined that it was safe for doctors in residency to work up to 24 hours a shift, and as many as 80 hours a week. Then research highlighted the safety concerns of these doctors in training being sleep deprived, leading the group to shorten the work shift day for first year residents to 16 hours.

Now, the group has reversed itself, again allowing the most rookie of doctors to work 24 hours continuously.

Proponents of the shift back to the 24 hour cap say that resident have complained that they have had to end patient interactions abruptly rather than finish up. Opponents have cited the same safety concerns for patients, and called the system “patriarchal hazing.”

You can read an article about this here:

[Rookie Docs Can Work Longer, 24-Hour Shifts Under New Rules](https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/illinois/articles/2017-03-10/rookie-docs-can-work-longer-24-hour-shifts-under-new-rules)