Perceived stress at transition to workplace: a qualitative interview study exploring final-year medical students' needs

• Published in: Advances in medical education and practice Vol. 7; no. Issue 1; pp. 15 - 27
• Main Authors: Moczko, Tobias R, Bugaj, Till J, Herzog, Wolfgang, Nikendei, Christoph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Burnout; Communication; final year medical education; Hospitals; Internal medicine; Interviews; Learning; Literature reviews; Medical education; Medical research; Medical students; Medicine; Mental health; Occupational stress; Original Research; Patient safety; Perceptions; Physicians; Qualitative research; Skills; Stress; stress prevention; Student attitudes; Training; Undergraduate medical education; workplace learning; Germany; qualitative research; final-year medical education; undergraduate medical education; workplace learning; stress prevention
• ISSN: 1179-7258; 1179-7258
• DOI: 10.2147/AMEP.S94105

This study was designed to explore final-year medical students' stressors and coping strategies at the transition to the clinical workplace. In this qualitative study, semi-standardized interviews with eight final-year medical students (five male, three female; aged 25.9±1.4 years) were conducted during their internal medicine rotation. After verbatim transcription, a qualitative content analysis of students' impressions of stress provoking and easing factors during final-year education was performed. Students' statements regarding burdens and dealing with stress were classified into four main categories: A) perceived stressors and provoking factors, B) stress-induced consequences, C) personal and external resources for preventing and dealing with stress, and D) final-year students' suggestions for workplace improvement. Final-year medical students perceived different types of stress during their transition to medical wards, and reported both negative consequences and coping resources concerning perceived stress. As supervision, feedback, and coping strategies played an important role in the students' perception of stress, final-year medical education curricula development should focus on these specifically.