Variation in lengths of training among residents enrolled in pediatrics and internal medicine training programs

Data were gathered in 1987 from 180 pediatrics and 302 internal medicine residency training programs about (1) the length of vacation provided their residents, (2) time allowed them for absence from work for reasons other than vacation, (3) how many of them during the previous three years had been required to extend their training to make up absences from work, and (4) whether a system was in place to cover their unexpected absences from work. All these variables affect the duration--but not necessarily the quality--of training that residents actually experience. The data show that these variables demonstrated wide ranges that depended on the postgraduate year of training, the discipline, the program size, and the program type (university, university-affiliated, freestanding, or military). The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, training program directors, and the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Internal Medicine each need to consider these variables in making their respective decisions about accrediting training programs, verifying the clinical competence of trainees, and certifying program graduates.