scholarly journals Impact of educational stress on cortisol, cardiac autonomic drive and academic performance of medical students

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 73-78
Author(s):  
Namrata Upadhayay ◽  
Rita Khadka ◽  
Bishnu Hari Paudel
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
First Year ◽  
Vagal Activity ◽  
Moderate Degree ◽  
Severe Degree ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
First Year Medical Students

Objectives: To assess stressors, heart-rate variability (HRV) and cortisol level in first year medical students (n-85), thrice in a year (beginning vs. mid-year vs. end-year). And we examined the association of these variables with their academic performance. Methods: Stressors were measured by medical student stressor questionnaire (MSSQ). HRV was assessed in eye-closed awake resting state for 5-min by Polar S810i. The salivary cortisol was assayed by ELISA method. Data were compared by Wilcoxon-Sign Rank test. Spearman correlation was applied between measured variables. Data are expressed as median (quartile 1-quartile 3), and significance was set at p≤0.05. Results: On MSSQ, students perceived mild to moderate degree of stress. About 8.24% and 11.8% of students perceived severe degree of stress in academic and inter-intrapersonal related stressors, respectively. Degree of stress in the beginning of the study was significantly high as compared to other visits. It was positively correlated with decreased HRV (decreased vagal activity and increased sympatho-excitation), high cortisol but with better academic performance in the beginning of the study. Cortisol (ng/ml) was significantly high in the beginning as compared to other visits [6.33 (5.05-7.43) vs. 1.33 (1.32-1.37) vs. 5.94 (5.1-6.6)]. The HRV measures showed mirror image of the cortisol among the visits. Conclusion: Stress level is mild to moderate degree in first year medical students which decreased as the year ended. Biochemical markers of stress, cortisol and HRV have similar trend. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v5i4.9843 Asian Journal of Medical Sciences 2014 Vol.5(4); 73-78

scholarly journals Effects of voluntary attendance patterns on first-year medical students’ wellness and academic performance during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 634-643
Author(s):  
Joshua Salzman ◽  
Macy Williamson ◽  
Andrea Epsina-Rey ◽  
Jonathan Kibble ◽  
Christine Kauffman
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Observational Cohort Study ◽  
First Year ◽  
Student Wellness ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Observational Cohort ◽  
First Year Medical Students ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

There is increasing evidence that attendance is not a reliable predictor of academic performance, which invites the question of whether attendance may have alternative positive effects such as increased student wellness. While conducting an observational cohort study on the relationship of attendance to performance and wellness, the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown changed the ability of students to attend class. Matriculating medical students were recruited to participate at the beginning of their first year in August 2019. In-person attendance was collected prospectively until the lockdown began in March 2020. This was then correlated with performance on course final examinations and responses to two separate incidences of a survey on stress, burnout, social isolation, and loneliness. The first survey was deployed January through February 2020 (pre-COVID) and the second June 2020 (during COVID lockdown). Attendance declined across the year (76.0%–25.0%). There was a small positive correlation of attendance to performance in module 1 ( r = 0.235, P = 0.035) with none in the remaining two modules ( P = 0.870, P = 0.410). The high attenders at the time of the lockdown had no decline in their performance when attendance was no longer possible. Attendance negatively correlated with stress and loneliness but not with the remainder of the wellness metrics. There was no significant change in any of the wellness metrics between the pre-COVID and during COVID time points. While the data support the conclusion that attendance is not required to maintain performance in this population, these data suggest a small protective effect against stress and loneliness.

scholarly journals The impact of weekly test on the academic performance of first year medical students

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-59
Author(s):  
Priyadharshini S ◽  
◽  
I Dinesh ◽  
V Nagaguhan ◽  
Puttagunta bapuji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Medical Students ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Comparative Analysis of Cranial Capacity with Body Mass Index and Academic Performance of First Year Medical Students

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariappan Senthiappan Arathi ◽  
Ganesan Durga Devi ◽  
Dorairaj Sreelekha ◽  
Rajasundaram Archana ◽  
Mariappan Senthiappan Anandi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
First Year ◽  
Cranial Capacity ◽  
First Year Medical Students

scholarly journals A Quantitative Evaluation of Empathy Using JSE-S Tool, Before and After a Medical Humanities Module, Amongst First-year Medical Students in Nepal

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna G.C. ◽  
Amit Arjyal ◽  
Amanda Douglas ◽  
Madhusudan Subedi ◽  
Rajesh Gongal
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Quantitative Evaluation ◽  
Medical Humanities ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
P Value ◽  
First Year ◽  
Before And After ◽  
First Year Medical Students ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Doctors’ empathy: the understanding of patients’ experiences, concerns and perspectives, is highly valued by patients yet often lacking in patient care. Medical humanities has been introduced within undergraduate curriculum to address this lack in empathy. There is a paucity of research on the impact of a course on medical humanities on the empathy of medical students, particularly in South Asia. Here we report on the impact of such an intervention in first-year medical students and aim to help outcome-based medical education and the evaluation and promotion of humanities within medical courses. Methods This study is a quantitative evaluation of student empathy before and after a Medical Humanities course. The study employs the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Student version (JSE-S). Participants were first-year medical students at Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Nepal. All cohort students were invited to participate and written consent was obtained. Data were collected both prior-to and on-completion-of, a six-week Medical Humanities module. Pre- and post-module data were analyzed and the resulting empathy scores compared using the paired t-test or Wilcoxon Sign Rank test. Subgroup analysis was undertaken to determine the association of the score with gender and preferred future speciality. Results Sixty-two student responses were analyzed, 32 (52%) male. In the Pre-module scores females had a slightly higher mean score than males:108 and 103 respectively. Participants who preferred people-oriented specialities also scored higher than those preferring procedure and technology-oriented specialities: 107 and 103. There was a significant increase in mean score for the entire class from Pre-module to Post-module: 105 to 116, p-value of < 0.001. Mean scores rose from 103 to 116 in males, and from 108 to 116 in females. Participants preferring Procedure and Technology-Oriented specialities showed a significant increase in meanscores:103 to 117, and participants preferring People-Oriented specialities demonstrated a smaller increase:107 to 111. Conclusion This study provides evidence of the impact of a Medical Humanities course for increasing medical student empathy scores at an institution in Nepal. Teaching of Medical Humanities is an important contributor to the development of empathy in medical students and its widespread expansion in the whole of South Asia should be considered.

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