Beyond Resilience: Physician Overtime as an Ethical Challenge for Sustainable Healthcare

Overtime work, defined as recurrent work performed beyond regular contractual hours across clinical settings, has become an increasingly normalized feature of modern healthcare systems, often viewed as a marker of professional dedication rather than a sign of structural imbalance. However, excessive working hours contribute to physician burnout, impaired well-being, and potential risks to patient safety. From a bioethical perspective, sustainable healthcare requires protecting both patients and the professionals who provide care. Addressing physician overtime demands a shift from a culture of individual endurance toward organizational responsibility, supported by workforce planning, effective workload management, and enforcement of working-hour policies, while promoting working environments that safeguard dignity, safety, and long-term healthcare resilience.