How much work is enough work? Results of a survey of US and Australian anesthesiologists' perceptions of part-time practice and part-time training.

This article reports the results of a written survey administered to anesthesiologists in Australia and the United States regarding their opinions toward part-time practice and training. Although type of work and case volume were acknowledged to be important, most respondents reported a need for guidelines regarding levels of minimum acceptable clinical activity. A major recurring theme was that interindividual variation in competence is so great that no one set of rules can encompass each individual's circumstances with regard to minimum hours to stay competent and need to re-train after more than 6 months away from routine clinical practice. Guidelines regarding volume and variety of clinical work to acquire and maintain competence while practicing part-time may deserve further study to maintain quality and safety.