Emergency medicine resident duty-hour rules (ACGME), explained

The rules DutyHourCheck checks

1. 12-hour shift limit. Scheduled shifts in the emergency department may not be longer than 12 hours in a row.
2. Rest at least as long as the shift. Between scheduled shifts, residents get continuous time off at least as long as the shift they just worked. A 12-hour shift needs 12 hours off. Mandatory conference is not time off.
3. 60 clinical hours a week. No more than 60 scheduled clinical hours in a week.
4. 72 total hours a week. No more than 72 hours a week including education such as conference.
5. A day off every week. At least one continuous 24-hour period off every week. Unlike the common rule, this is not averaged over 4 weeks.
6. No more than 6 nights in a row. No more than 6 consecutive night shifts. DutyHourCheck counts a shift as a night if it starts at or after 10 PM, ends after 2 AM, or is labeled night.

Programs differ on whether a week runs Monday to Sunday or Sunday to Saturday. DutyHourCheck checks both and also reports your highest rolling 7-day total so nothing hides across a week boundary. Night shifts on a daylight saving change are counted in real elapsed hours (a 7 PM to 7 AM shift on the night clocks fall back is 13 hours).