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Published on: June 16, 2018
A comparative study of professional student stress
Robert J Murphy1, Sarah A Gray, Gerald Sterling
1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University Hospital , 3223 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
Journal of Dental Education
|March 18, 2009
Summary
Dental students report higher stress than medical students in most areas, except professional identity. Stress levels varied by clinical work and academic year, with no significant gender differences found in this medical education study.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Student stress is a significant concern in higher education.
- Understanding the unique stressors faced by medical and dental students is crucial for developing targeted support systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To directly compare perceived stress levels between medical and dental students.
- To identify common and distinct sources of stress in medical and dental education.
- To analyze stress differences based on gender and year of study.
Main Methods:
- A modified Dental Environmental Stress survey was administered to 290 medical and dental students.
- Data were collected via email or paper-based questionnaires.
- Multivariate statistical analysis, including factor analysis, was employed to analyze responses.
Main Results:
- Dental students reported higher stress than medical students in academic performance, faculty relations, and patient/clinic responsibilities.
- Medical students reported higher stress than dental students concerning professional identity.
- No significant differences in stress levels were found between male and female students.
- Clinical work-related stress varied significantly by student profession and academic year.
Conclusions:
- While both medical and dental students face significant stressors, dental students experience higher levels in several key areas.
- Professional identity emerges as a unique stressor for medical students.
- Interventions to mitigate student stress should consider profession-specific and year-dependent factors.
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