A day in the life of a doctor

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A day in the life of a doctor

21.05.08

Despite countless studies investigating working hours and doctor fatigue there are none which quantitatively examine how doctors spend their time. A recent article published in the MJA examined the work patterns of several junior doctors. In total 19 doctors (seven registrars, five residents, seven interns) were observed between 0830 and 1900. The greatest proportion of time was spent in professional communication. Only 15% of time was spent with a patient compared to 22% of time spent by interns documenting. Most tasks were completed with another doctor and 17% of time was spent socialising.

The authors of the study hope the results will help plan future medical workforce initiatives which aim to improve workplace efficiency. In the meantime it may well help answer the question of which represents life as a doctor more accurately - Scrubs or Gray's Anatomy?

 

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