Objective: 
Female physicians spend more time with their patients than male physicians(ref 1).  This study utilized a standardized patient(SP)­based clinical skills assessment (CSA) to explore whether medical student gender influenced encounter time use. We hypothesized that women would use a greater amount of the station time allotment in the encounters.

Methods:
We reviewed videotapes from our senior-level CSA. Fourteen scenarios were prepared for the exam, representing clinical content from all year-III clerkship disciplines.  Each student saw eight patients, with a maximum time allotment of 15 minutes per encounter.  For each student-SP encounter, total encounter time (student entry until exit from room) was recorded in seconds.  Student scores for the cases were obtained.  The mean encounter time and mean case score were calculated for each scenario, and for all cases combined.  Data was grouped by student gender.  A difference between groups was defined by a mean time use difference of > 15 seconds, and a mean case score difference of >2 percent. 

Results:
163 students participated in the 2003-2004 CSA.  Videotapes of 615 student-SP encounters were reviewed (47% of all encounters), including tapes from all 14 scenarios.  The mean overall encounter time was 12 minutes 32 seconds (women: 12:19; men 12:40). Mean encounter time for the individual cases ranged from 8:45-14:32.  Comparisons of encounter time use by gender showed no differences for 6 cases.  Men used more time in 7 of the remaining 8 cases (range 0:18-1:20).  Differences in time use did not correlate with case score differences.

Conclusions:
Our findings were not consistent with our hypothesis. Time use differences were small, and did not correlate with case performance.  Gender differences noted in medical practice were not evident in our CSA.  Additional studies relating gender and CSA performance are needed.

1. Roter DL, et al. Physician gender effects in medical communication: a meta-analytic review. JAMA. 288(6):756-64, 2002 Aug 14.