“Med-school stresses everyone,

cultivating different mindsets and focusing on

these developmental tasks might prevent
burnout and improve students’ motivation”
Medical students’ Life cycles: stress & motivation
Winitra Kaewpila MD,MHPE1, Karen Könings PhD2, Karn Jumroonrojana MD1
1 Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand. 2 Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Introduction Results
This study aims to understand the stress/
1) Factors related to students’ stress & motivation were:
burnout/motivation spectrum in medical
Students’ perceived autonomy to choose for Medicine
students across the six years in one
medical school in Thailand. Perceived values inherent to the medical profession
What factors relate to stress and Sense of security, competence, self-acceptance
motivation in each year? Belongingness to the medical community
How do high and low motivated Meaningful experience with patients.
students differ in perceiving and 2) High-motivated students demonstrated a stronger future-self
coping with their academic stress? and growth-oriented mindset.

Methods Discussion & Conclusion

One high-motivated and one low-motivated
student from each year, selected by students
in their year (gatekeeper).
12 students were individually interviewed.
Thematic analysis by two reviewers, followed
by cross-reviewing to reach agreement.
Students’ stress and motivation are the results of a complex and
dynamic interaction of individual, social and community,
situational factors. These interacting factors contribute to different
challenges and developmental tasks in subsequent phases of
medical study.

Factors related to medical students’ stress/motivation and Developmental tasks according to the four phases of medical study

Contact information
Winitra Kaewpila, MD, MHPE
Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute,
Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital,
Department of Psychiatry, Mahidol University
(+66) 89 7700204 winitra.kae@mahidol.ac.th