Cross sectional study on lifelong learning's determinants among medical students in RAK Medical & Health Sciences...

To find the association of Empathy, Self-Efficacy, and/or Hope with readiness for lifelong learning among medical students.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2016 at Ras Al-Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University in the United Arab Emirates, and comprised medical students from all five years. A self-reporting questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data .Standard scales and analysis of variance test were used to compare the mean scores of different variables for different groups..

Of the 221 students 146(66%) were females, and the overall mean age was 19.94±1.71 years. The mean score of Inter-professional Reactivity Index to measure Empathy was 67.3±12.54. For self-efficacy it was 34.1±9.01. The mean score of Academic Hope Scale was 28.92±5.54. The mean score of the Revised Jefferson Scale of Physician Lifelong Learning was 40.76±6.8. Female students had significantly higher scores of Inter-professional Reactivity Index and self-efficacy, whereas, non-Arab students had higher Inter-professional Reactivity Index scores than Arab students (p<0.05 each). Self-efficacy, hope, and lifelong learning were significantly and positively correlated (p<0.05).

Improving the positive psychology of medical students may increase their readiness to lifelong learning.