Interesting.
I read up on policies regarding medical students and work-hours while on a clinical service.
Kim's right. RRC rules don't necessarily apply to medical students. In fact when I took the surgical clerkship in New York (where we have Bell Commission regulations, the so-called "405" regulations), I stayed post-call until 6 or 7PM while the team I was on-call with went home around 11AM.
Anyway for med students there is no nationally-set policy either by the AAMC or some other authorized body regarding work hours. In New York State, or so I've been told, because med students are NOT directly involved in the care of patients (i.e., making decisions), 405 rules don't apply. Med schools have full authority to set their own rules if they so choose, and should they not, this responsibility is deferred to the service you're on. This of course means, like everything else in med school, your life will entirely depend on your team. 🙂
I argue that 405s should apply to all med students only because it's DAMN hard to suture head lacs, putting in central lines, and performing any other task (heck even "simple" blood draws from the "intern vein") without adequate rest. But, hey, I'm stronger now. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...