A prospective, consecutive study was performed to determine if medical student supervision in the emergency department (ED) changes patient throughput time (ie, the time from triage to discharge).

The mean patient throughput time on days when medical students were present in the ED (group 1) was compared to the mean patient throughput time on days when medical students were absent from the ED (group 2).

Throughput time was measured in minutes.

The mean throughput times of the two groups were compared by the two tailed t test (P<. 05).

The study had a power of 90% (bêta=10) to detect a throughput time difference of 20 minutes.

The two groups were also compared for mean daily acuity (as gauged by mean daily number of patient admissions) and mean daily patient census.

The differences in mean daily throughput times (group 1,145.2 min vgroup II, 150.6 min ; P=40), mean daily census (group 1,28.1 patients v group 2,28.1 patients ; P=75), and mean daily admissions (group 1,10.4 patients v group 2,10.7 patients ; P=74) were all insignificant.

Precepting medical students in this ED did not significantly change patient throughput times.