Call Schedule

Providing residents with a sound academic and clinical education is carefully planned and balanced with concerns for patient safety and resident well-being. On-call (duty-hour) assignments recognize that faculty and residents collectively have responsibility for the safety and welfare of patients.

Duty hours are defined as all clinical and academic activities related to the residency program, to include patient care (both inpatient and outpatient), administrative duties related to patient care, the provision for transfer of patient care, time spent in-house during call activities and scheduled academic activities such as conferences.

• Clinical and educational work hours must be limited to no more than 80 hours per week, averaged over a four-week period, inclusive of all in-house clinical and educational activities, clinical work done from home, and all moonlighting.
• Residents should have eight hours off between scheduled clinical work and education periods.
• Residents must have at least 14 hours free of clinical work and education after 24 hours of in-house call.
• Residents must be scheduled for a minimum of one day in seven free of clinical work and required education (when averaged over four weeks).
• Clinical and educational work periods for residents must not exceed 24 hours of continuous scheduled clinical assignments. Up to four hours of additional time may be used for activities related to patient safety (transitions of care and/or resident education).

The Administrative chief resident, along with a resident-elected PGY3 resident create the resident call, holiday and vacation schedule. On average residents have at least one call free weekend per month to enjoy the Wilmington area. The three-person night float team works five nights per week, Sunday-Thursday. Residents receive vacation and sick time, and there is an even distribution of holiday calls.