What does the intern do?

A minute-by minute professional work study was undertaken on three interns at the Royal Adelaide Hospital from Monday to Friday of three consecutive working weeks in December, 1972. The clinics studied were general medical, general surgical and urological. There are obvious major limitations in extrapolating the results of this study beyong the hospital involved at the time of year concerned. Nevertheless, allowing for this factor, it is probably a matter of general principle that there is excessive disproportion between the time spent by an intern in clinical work, contrasted with the time spent in clinical activity, transit, and waiting time. It is suggested that the work of an intern needs more support by better secretarial and similar facilities.