Many newly-qualified doctors emerging from medical school will start their first hospital jobs on Wednesday, eager to get to grips with the sharp end of medicine.

In the past, they could have expected to face a working week of up to 100 hours but new rules mean they should not have to work more than 56 hours.

But two new junior doctors told BBC News Online's Melissa Jackson they are sceptical that sticking to this time limit will be feasible.

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Kate Duffield, 23, is about to start work as a junior house doctor at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary on a respiratory ward in general medicine.

I do think in reality we are working a lot fewer hours than our predecessors a few years ago.

But I really do think it's optimistic that I will be doing just 56 hours a week.

You feel as a professional that you want to get the job done and have a duty to do that and are loathe to walk out at 5pm.

Everyone appreciates that for the fist couple of weeks of the job we are going to be quite slow and will have to stay on late every day.

But as we get more proficient that will get better and we should leave on time.

Forty eight hours is desirable and is put there for reasons - health and safety reasons.

You know about the long hours when you are going into medicine, but you have to make that sacrifice for the job

Kate Duffield

My understanding is that the 56-hour rule has been around for about 10 years but hasn't been implemented.

You know about the long hours when you are going into medicine, but you have to make that sacrifice for the job.

You can't do the job and work sensible hours.

A lot of people get disillusioned and wonder whether this is what they want - some people dropped out during the five-year university course and there are others who wonder whether it will work for them.

I think I am going to be committed.

I would like to think I have spent five years with my eyes open and I hope things have improved so much from 10 years ago and things will continue to improve.

But I can't pretend it's going to be a bed of roses.

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James Coulston, 24, is starting as a junior house doctor in general surgery at Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, Wales.

My hours are "new-deal compliant" - or 56 hours.

But realistically, when it comes to the crunch, you have got to do the work in front of you.

I'm a little concerned about the hours, especially over the next few weeks.

The medics in my job aren't "new-deal compliant" and that's worrying because there is no limit on hours.

It would be very difficult to walk out, especially at certain hours in the morning when my hours finish and there may be only one other junior doctor on.

So you would have to stay on.

I have a ward round at 0800 on Wednesday, but I will be in at 0700 to make sure I know what's happening

James Coulston

The NHS trusts are trying to comply with the rules but the simple fact is there aren't enough of us.

But government ministers are slowly getting their heads round it.

People are going to have to comply with 48 hours, but consultants are going to find they have got to do their work.

The problem is this is a new beginning and new change and we don't know where it's going.

I have a ward round at 0800 on Wednesday, but I will be in at 0700 to make sure I know what's happening.

The limits on hours will have an effect, but if we have to do extra hours, so be it.

We do the job because we like doing it and you have to be very flexible about it.

You can't say I'm going in at 0900 and going home at 1700.

You have got to balance it out and we will try to help each other out as colleagues.