title: Recent family medicine residency graduates' perceptions of resident duty hour restrictions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Resident duty hour limits, new requirements for supervision, and an enhanced focus on patient safety have shown mixed effects on resident quality of life, patient safety, and resident competency. Few studies have assessed how recent graduates feel these changes have affected their education.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We assessed recent graduates' perceptions about the effects of duty hour and supervision requirements on their education.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional survey of graduates from South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium-affiliated family medicine residency programs from 2005 to 2009 by using logistic regression to determine associations between participant characteristics and survey responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Graduates (N  =  136) completed the survey with a 51.3% response rate. Nearly all (96%) reported that residency prepared them for their current work hours; 97% reported they felt adequately supervised; 81% worked fewer hours in practice than in residency; 20% believed the limits had restricted their clinical experience; and 3% felt duty hour limits were more important than supervision. Graduates who practiced in a mid-sized communities were more likely to report duty hour limits restricted their clinical experience than individuals practicing in communities of <10 000 (OR  =  6.30; 95% CI, 1.38-28.72).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most graduates who responded to the survey felt supervision was equally or more important than limits on resident duty hours. However, 20% of respondents felt that the duty hour standards limited their education. The duty hour and supervision requirements challenge educators to ensure quality education.
authors.forename: Lars E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Lori M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Dickerson
authors.forename: Marty S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Player
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Carek