Medical students self-reported work hours: Perception versus reality

Objective The objective of this study was to compare the studentsʹ actual work hours with their self-reported work hours during the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship, and to determine whether the number of hours worked correlate with the amount of “scut” reported or studentsʹ rating of the quality of the clerkship. Study design Students self-reported work hours were compared against their actual scheduled hours over 2 different academic years. Pearsonʹs correlation was performed to correlate the actual hours with the amount of reported “scut” work and the overall rating of the quality of the clerkship. Results The actual hours per week worked by students averaged 59 hours in 2003 and 48 hours in 2004. Students overestimated their work hours both years. Students who worked more hours rated the clerkship lower and the quality of the clerkship significantly improved from 2003 to 2004 (4.2 vs 3.8 P< .03). Conclusion The majority of third-year students overestimate their work hours in obstetrics and gynecology. The rating of the overall quality of the clerkship increase significantly with fewer hours worked, and it is not affected by the amount of “scut” work.