Department of Medicine, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.
Department of Primary Care, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.
BMC Med Educ. 2023 Mar 28;23(1):190. doi: 10.1186/s12909-023-04181-9.
Medical school is a challenging time, with many medical students reporting symptoms of burnout, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and psychological distress during pre-clinical and clinical years. First-generation college and first-generation medical students may be two groups of students at increased risk for the negative psychosocial effects of medical school. Importantly, grit, self-efficacy, and curiosity are protective factors against the negative psychosocial effects of medical school, whereas intolerance of uncertainty is a risk factor. Thus, research examining the associations among grit, self-efficacy, curiosity, and intolerance of uncertainty in first-generation college and first-generation medical students is needed.
We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study to assess medical students' grit, self-efficacy, curiosity, and intolerance of uncertainty. We conducted independent samples t-tests and regression analyses using SPSS statistical software version 28.0.
A total of 420 students participated in the study for a response rate of 51.5%. One-fifth of participants (21.2%, n = 89) identified as first-generation students, 38.6% (n = 162) participants reporting having a physician relative, and 16.2% (n = 68) reported having a physician parent. Grit, self-efficacy, and curiosity and exploration scores did not differ by first-generation college status, physician relative(s), or physician parent(s). However, total intolerance of uncertainty scores differed by physician relative(s) (t= -2.830, p = 0.005), but not by first-generation status, or physician parent(s). Further, subscale scores for prospective intolerance of uncertainty differed by physician relative(s) (t= -3.379, p = 0.001) and physician parent(s) (t= -2.077, p = 0.038), but not by first-generation college student status. In the hierarchical regression models, first-generation college student status and first-generation medical student status were not predictive of grit, self-efficacy, curiosity and exploration, or intolerance of uncertainty, although statistical trends were observed with students with physician relative(s) predicting lower intolerance of uncertainty scores (B= -2.171, t= -2138, p = 0.033) and lower prospective intolerance of uncertainty (B= -1.666, t= -2.689, p = 0.007).
These findings suggest that first-generation college students did not differ by grit, self-efficacy, curiosity, or intolerance of uncertainty. Similarly, first-generation medical students did not differ by grit, self-efficacy, or curiosity; however, first-generation medical students showed statistical trends in higher total intolerance of uncertainty and higher prospective intolerance of uncertainty. Additional research needs to confirm these findings in first-generation medical students.
医学院是一个充满挑战的时期，许多医学生在临床前和临床学年报告出现倦怠、抑郁、焦虑、自杀意念和心理困扰等症状。第一代大学生和第一代医学生可能是两个面临医学院负面心理社会影响风险增加的学生群体。重要的是，坚毅、自我效能感和好奇心是抵御医学院负面心理社会影响的保护因素，而无法容忍不确定性则是一个风险因素。因此，需要研究第一代大学生和第一代医学生中的坚毅、自我效能感、好奇心和无法容忍不确定性之间的关联。
我们进行了一项横断面描述性研究，以评估医学生的坚毅、自我效能感、好奇心和无法容忍不确定性。我们使用 SPSS 统计软件版本 28.0 进行了独立样本 t 检验和回归分析。
共有 420 名学生参加了这项研究，应答率为 51.5%。五分之一的参与者（21.2%，n=89）认为自己是第一代学生，38.6%（n=162）的参与者报告有医生亲属，16.2%（n=68）的参与者报告有医生父母。坚毅、自我效能感、好奇心和探索评分不因第一代大学生身份、医生亲属的存在或医生父母的存在而不同。然而，总无法容忍不确定性评分因医生亲属的存在而不同（t=-2.830，p=0.005），但不因第一代大学生身份或医生父母的存在而不同。此外，前瞻性无法容忍不确定性的子量表评分因医生亲属的存在（t=-3.379，p=0.001）和医生父母的存在（t=-2.077，p=0.038）而不同，但不因第一代大学生身份而不同。在分层回归模型中，第一代大学生身份和第一代医学生身份不能预测坚毅、自我效能感、好奇心和探索，或无法容忍不确定性，但观察到有医生亲属的学生的无法容忍不确定性评分较低（B=-2.171，t=-2138，p=0.033）和前瞻性无法容忍不确定性评分较低（B=-1.666，t=-2.689，p=0.007）的统计学趋势。
这些发现表明，第一代大学生在坚毅、自我效能感、好奇心或无法容忍不确定性方面没有差异。同样，第一代医学生在坚毅、自我效能感或好奇心方面也没有差异；然而，第一代医学生在总无法容忍不确定性和前瞻性无法容忍不确定性方面表现出统计学趋势。需要进一步的研究来确认第一代医学生中的这些发现。
