q4 call
Updated October 12, 2026 · with an example to try
q4 call means taking call every fourth night. In a simple rotation, a team of four gives q4: each person takes 7 or 8 calls a month and moves through the days of the week. For in-house call, residents are held to every third night averaged over the rotation, and q4 stays within it: 8 calls in a 30-day month, where 10 are allowed.
See a month of q4 call
Example · runs in your browser; nothing you enter is sent
| Person | Nights on call | Friday or Saturday | Holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| B | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| C | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| D | 8 | 2 | 0 |
In-house q4 call puts each person on call 7 or 8 nights in January. Every third night, averaged over its 31 nights, allows 10 (ACGME 6.27). Programs that average over 4 weeks allow 9 in 28 days. After 24 hours of in-house call, residents need at least 14 hours free (6.21.a).
A simple rotation, continuing from month to month. Every team size here but seven moves each person through the days of the week, so Friday and Saturday nights even out over a few weeks; with seven (q7), each person keeps the same night of the week. Holidays counted, as in the call schedule maker: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.
Change the team size to see q3 or q5, and switch to home call to see how the limits change.
q2 to q5 in a 4-week block
| Call | Calls in 28 days | Against every third night |
|---|---|---|
| q2 | 14 | Over the limit |
| q3 | 9 or 10, by the start day | Allowed only at 9; 10 is over |
| q4 | 7 | Within |
| q5 | 5 or 6 | Within |
For in-house and home call in more depth, see call schedules.
Common questions
- What does q3 call mean?
- Taking call every third night, usually because three people share it. For in-house call it's allowed only if it comes to 9 or fewer calls in a 28-day block, or 10 in a 30- or 31-day month.
- Is q4 call in-house or home call?
- Either. q4 only says how often; in-house call has the every-third-night limit, and home call doesn't.
Check your own schedule against these rules.
Use the free duty-hour check with your calendar link, the subscribe link your scheduling app gives you, or a calendar file. Our server reads a link once, sends back only the shift times and keeps nothing; a file never leaves your device. No account needed (what the checks see).