Associations of Pass-Fail Outcomes with Psychological Health of First-Year Medical Students in a Malaysian Medical School
Journal Title: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal - Year 2013, Vol 13, Issue 1
Abstract
Objectives: Te demanding and intense environment of medical training can create excessive pressures on medical students that eventually lead to unfavorable consequences, either at a personal or professional level. Tese consequences can include poor academic performance and impaired cognitive ability. Tis study was designed to explore associations between pass-fail outcome and psychological health parameters (i.e. stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a cohort of frst-year medical students in a Malaysian medical school. Te depression anxiety stress scale 21-item assessment (DASS-21) was administered to them right after the fnal paper of the frst-year fnal examination. Teir fnal examination outcomes (i.e. pass or fail) were traced by using their student identity code (ID) through the Universiti Sains Malaysia academic ofce. Results: A total of 194 (98.0%) of medical students responded to the DASS-21. An independent t-test showed that students who passed had signifcantly lower stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms than those who failed the frst-year fnal examination (P <0.05). Tose who experienced moderate to high stress were at 2.43 times higher risk for failing the examination than those who experienced normal to mild stress. Conclusion: Medical students who failed in the fnal examination had higher psychological distress than those who passed the examination. Tose who experienced high stress levels were more likely to fail than those who did not. Reducing the psychological distress of medical students prior to examination may help them to perform better in the examination.
Authors and Affiliations
Muhamad S. B. Yusoff| Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
Keywords
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