Work Schedule

House staff are on call until 9:00 pm every fourth day. Night float teams relieve the on-call day teams of floor coverage responsibilities at 8:00 pm and begin to receive admissions at 9:00 pm.

Interns and residents spend one month each year (in two-week blocks) working on the night float medical team. Each morning, members of the night float team join their respective medical teams to present patients they have admitted the previous night and to give a detailed sign-out to ensure smooth continuity of care. Night float periods are usually scheduled before or after vacation.

The Beth Israel Residency Program in Internal Medicine has seen a major re-commitment to primary care training. All categorical residents now have a minimum of four ambulatory continuity "blocks" in the training program (in addition to weekly continuity clinic). During their inpatient rotations, residents work closely with hospitalists and other attending physicians to learn how to communicate and coordinate discharge planning and continuity with the primary care physician following a patient’s hospitalization.

The year is divided into 13 four-week blocks with elective time each year. Elective rotations can be used to pursue research projects or to gain extra clinical experience in an area of the house officer's interest.

Sample House Officer Yearly Schedule

PGY1		PGY2		PGY3
Inpatient Medical Units	8-9 blocks 4weeks each	Inpatient Medical Units	4 blocks	Inpatient Medical Units	4 blocks
Ambulatory Medicine-Categorical	1block	Ambulatory Medicine	2 blocks	Ambulatory Medicine	2 blocks
CCU	1block	Neurology	1 block	CCU	1 block
MICU	1block	MICU	1 block	MICU	1 block
Elective	1block	Elective	3 blocks	Medical Consult	1 block
Vacation	1block	Emergency Medicine	1 block	Elective	3 blocks
		Vacation	1 block	Vacation	1 block