It is. In surgical specialties, until very recently it not only happened but was absolutely normal and expected. I had one attending outright tell us that we (s

It is. In surgical specialties, until very recently it not only happened but was absolutely normal and expected. I had one attending outright tell us that we (students) were not allowed to sleep on our 30 hour on-call shifts. To give some context, it is only recently that rules were passed to limit those hours -- to 80 (!!!) per week. However, this is a vestige of the old culture and is slowly but surely being replaced both by new rules and, generally speaking, a better culture. http://www.acgme.org/What-We-Do/Accreditation/Duty-Hours http://www.acgme.org/What-We-Do/Accreditation/Duty-Hours