The American Medical Association (AMA) applauded the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) decision to allow the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to continue to serve as the regulatory body for medical resident work hours.

“The ACGME is the appropriate body to regulate and monitor resident duty hours, as it is optimally suited to oversee resident and fellow physician duty hours on behalf of both the profession and the public,” said AMA President Peter W. Carmel, MD. “We are pleased that OSHA agrees.”

Last year, Public Citizen petitioned for OSHA to regulate resident work hours instead of ACGME. In response, the AMA sent a letter to OSHA in September 2010 in support of ACGME as the proper oversight body for resident work hours. OSHA recently denied Public Citizen’s petition, allowing ACGME to continue to regulate resident work hours.