Medical Students on Their Internal Medicine Clerkship Experience Short Sleep Duration

Background: Third-year medical students during their internal medicine clerkship may be predisposed to short sleep duration (<7 h of sleep per night) because of rigorous clinical schedules and academic demands. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of short sleep duration, its impact on performance, and perceived causes among third-year medical students on their internal medicine clerkship. Methods: During the 2023-2024 academic year, third-year medical students at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School completed a survey at the end of their internal medicine clerkship regarding their sleep practices. The schools differed in clerkship structure and grading system. Data were analyzed and compared between schools using the Fisher exact test. Responses for an open-ended question on sleep strategies were categorized into themes by sleep physicians. Results: Of the 314 third-year medical students invited, 222 (70.7%) completed the survey. Short sleep duration was reported by nearly two-thirds of our cohort (143, 64.4%), with a significantly higher prevalence at RWJMS. Most reported sleep-related impairment on clinical duties or educational activities for 1-3 days per week (125, 56.3%), with more reporting ⩾4 days per week at RWJMS. About one-third of our cohort reported drowsy driving either 1-3 days (82, 36.9%) or ⩾4 days (68, 30.6%) per week. Despite high rates of short sleep duration, the overwhelming majority (196, 88.3%) had never received education on sleep management. Conclusion: Short sleep duration is prevalent among third-year medical students during their internal medicine clerkship, potentially impacting their clinical performance and safety.