Stress Levels and Examination Performance of Medical Students

Abstract

Introduction The effects of stress are known to be multi faceted. Hans Selye, the father of the science of stress, studied effects of stress on the human body. Though stress is being studied in detail since long, somehow stress is still a mystery. Performance of a person in examination depends on many factors. In present study, we attempted to find stress levels and their effect on examination performance of first year medical students. Material and Methods In present study, we asked fifty first year medical students to rate their perceived level of stress in percentage score from 0-100; 100 being the highest, along with other relevant data. We correlated this stress level and other factors with their marks in “intermediate exams”, i.e. exams conducted in + 60 days of recording stress score. Results It was found that stress levels higher than 40, suggestive of distress; lead to decrease in examination performance, as evidenced by decrease in marks in all examinations conducted in this period viz. three written theory examinations and two practical examinations.