High rates of anxiety symptoms among medical students have been observed in many studies. Autonomic symptoms are indications of anxiety somatization. Reports about gender variations in anxiety and autonomic lability are contradictory and require further researches.

To investigate changes of state anxiety, autonomic symptoms among medical students in various study periods and role of gender variations.

54 medical students (28 female and 26 male) of I.M. Sechenov Moscow State Medical University were recruited in this study. Participants were assigned unique identification codes. We used State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Vein’s Autonomic Symptoms Questionnaire (VASQ). State anxiety and autonomic symptoms were defined three times: 2 weeks, one day before the exam and after examination. ANOVA, correlation and t-statistics methods were used to analyze data.

Changing of study situation influenced lability of state anxiety (ANOVA, F= 3,23; p= 0,04). We found gender differences in autonomic symptoms’ penetration in 1st (p= 0.05), 2nd (p< 0.05) and 3rd (p< 0.01) periods; state anxiety varied in 2nd period (p< 0,05) only. Correlation between autonomic symptoms and gender was found in 1st (r= 0,46; p= 0,003) and 2nd (r= 0,901; p< 0.001) periods; correlation between state anxiety and gender was moderate in 2nd period (r= 0,55; p< 0.001).

Statistical significance was achieved between a level of anxiety and various studying situations. Correlation between gender and both state anxiety and rate of autonomic symptoms was found. State anxiety and degree of autonomic symptoms was significantly higher in female.